Someone decides to rake through the Elf-Aquitaine embers, with the result that 42 persons are sent for by the judge. Including a whole slew of politicians – carrier-grade rightwing thug Charles Pasqua, crooked prefect for the Var Jean-Charles Marchiani, professional president’s son Jean-Christophe “Papa M’a Dit” Mitterand, and slightly surprisingly, Mitterand’s right hand man and pet intellectual Jacques Attali. Better known in the anglosphere as the first head of the EBRD whose specifications for its headquarters in Liverpool Street, London verged on the pharaonic, Attali remains a man respected by the Left in France, if nothing else for his books.
The warrants for Pierre Falcone and Arkadi Gaydamak (yes, that’s the one whose son owns Portsmouth FC) have been reiterated, if that’s the right word. Presumably the move is motivated by the fact that, in the middle of an election, no-one is likely to risk interfering with the case.
Weirdly, though, the French press isn’t covering this at all. AFP and Reuters both carried the story, but Le Monde granted it only a nib, while Libé didn’t so much as touch it.
Note: I’ll be unavailable for the next two days, but I will try to check the comments.
Arkadi Gaydamak is a little bit more invloved in jewsih / Israeli politics than his son’s ownership of a footie club.
He has set up a new political party which
1. Is attmepting to steal the Rusian exiles vote
2. Supprt netanyahu
3. Take over the rump of Likud
He has vast wealth originating in Angolagate and has pulled many followers by taking people fromn Sderot during the Lebanese war, feeding them etc. This pesach he has taken in thew poor, single mothers oppressed and fed them publicly.
Faced with the corrupt sex maniacs who run israel the large Russian diaspora look to him. Do not dismis him.
There are fresh news from the US. Pierre Falcone’s wife managed a plea bargain in Arizona to avoid prison and extradition. Go take a look at East Valley Tribune…they are quite a couple!!!!