Paris (AFP)

The hearing by the judicial police of François Bayrou, started Wednesday morning in connection with the case of fictitious uses of the assistants of parliamentarians MoDem, ended late evening, told AFP a spokesman party word.

"I am very happy with the way this day went, we went to the bottom of the files," said the president of the centrist party at BFMTV after his hearing.

François Bayrou and the former MEP Marielle de Sarnez were heard since Wednesday morning under the regime of the free hearing, that is to say without coercion, in the premises of the Central Office for the fight against corruption and corruption. financial and fiscal offenses (Oclciff) in Nanterre.

The court is asking whether MEPs' staff have been paid by the European Parliament's public funds while they were assigned to tasks for the centrist party.

"We were able to provide all the necessary explanations on all the files that were mentioned, it took a little time, but finally we were able to put forward the evidence, because the evidence exists that it was a lie." added Mr. Bayrou.

A MoDem spokeswoman, MP Sarah El Haïry, for her part congratulated AFP that the president of the centrist party was "able to answer all questions concretely and precisely", "what we have been waiting for since more than two years ".

After a preliminary investigation by the Paris public prosecutor's office in March 2017, targeting around 20 MEPs from all sides, then an investigation against the MoDem, a judicial investigation against X was opened in July 2017 for breach of trust, concealment of breach of trust and scams.

The case had led Sylvie Goulard, Marielle de Sarnez and Francois Bayrou to resign from the government, less than a month after their appointment.

After a search of the party in autumn 2017 and that of a former assistant to Ms. Goulard, Stéphane Thérou, last April, the case had a rebound last week, after Emmanuel Macron chose Ms. Goulard as new French European Commissioner.

His entourage then confirmed press reports, according to which Sylvie Goulard had paid 45,000 euros gross in the European Parliament, corresponding to the salaries and expenses of Stéphane Thérou, said a source close to the judicial investigation.

On 30 August, the European Parliament closed the deal without specifying the amount of the reimbursement.

Mrs. Goulard had already been heard Tuesday by the investigators of the Oclciff.

© 2019 AFP