REPORTAGE
At the prison of Health, in Paris, where Patrick Balkany was incarcerated on Friday night, the mayor of Levallois-Perret, received the visit of his lawyers, Saturday, for one hour. Lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti arrived with two of his associates, including Antoine Vey, with a closed face. Éric Dupond-Moretti then entered the prison with a large white envelope under his arm filled with files to talk to Patrick Balkany.
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The lawyers came out after an hour and a quarter without giving any major information to the press. "We stop the circus and the pack, if you want, it's bent for today, we have nothing to say, nothing," said Éric Dupond-Moretti.
"We want to protect our client"
One of the lawyers, however, slipped: "We want to protect our client", before Antoine Vey returns to the prison of Health a few minutes later to deposit personal belongings to his client.
Patrick Balkany spent the night in a standard single cell of 9m ² with shower, toilet, fridge, television and telephone. All his conversations can be listened to except those with his lawyer. His cell is located on the second floor of the Health Prison in the vulnerable neighborhood, a neighborhood reserved for media inmates. Alexandre Benalla spent a week at the beginning of the year.
Waiting for a new judgment
Patrick Balkany's lawyers confirmed to Europe 1 that they had filed a release application on Friday, which will be reviewed at the latest within two months. But the hope of coming out of prison seems slim for Patrick Balkany because a new judgment awaits him on October 18 for laundering and corruption.