Paris (AFP)

Former deputy for the deputy François Fillon in Sarthe, Marc Joulaud, tried in Paris in the case of suspected fictitious employment of Penelope Fillon, tried Wednesday to convince his judges that this discreet parliamentary collaborator was essential to him.

At the helm, the mayor of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds, exceeds by a wide head the Fillon but aligns perfectly with the defense of the former Prime Minister, to whom he owes his career Politics. The trial was bad for him, in the middle of the campaign for his re-election.

In 2002, his mentor François Fillon had offered him to be his deputy in the legislative elections, "a great opportunity", recalls Mr. Joulaud.

François Fillon, meanwhile appointed minister, wins the election: Marc Joulaud takes the seat of deputy. "François Fillon indicates to me that he wishes to continue the collaboration which he has had for a long time with his wife, so that we form a tight team", relates the one who was then 34 years old.

Hired as a parliamentary assistant by François Fillon since the 1980s, Penelope Fillon was earning around 3,000 euros per month at the time.

His salary jumped to more than 5,000 euros net from the substitute. Or "roughly the same remuneration as you!", Launches the president, Nathalie Gavarino, to Marc Joulaud.

The "boss" Fillon chooses the amount, fulfills the contract: Marc Joulaud is content to sign.

- "Counterparty"? -

For the prosecution, Penelope Fillon's activities in Sarthe were those of a wife of a politician. And this fictitious job was the "counterpart" to the place of substitute offered to Mr. Joulaud, a way for the Fillon to "divert" 645,000 euros of public money between 2002 and 2007.

Marc Joulaud denies it: "There was never any question of compensation. Never!"

"If Marc Joulaud had not wanted to sign the contract, he would have remained a member of the Sarthe", will abound later, annoyed, François Fillon, who celebrates his 66th birthday on Wednesday.

For the alternate and Mrs Fillon, a "team" without hierarchical relations, it was only a question of "keeping the constituency" of Mr. Fillon, assumes Marc Joulaud.

Penelope Fillon's "first mission" was to make me known, "he says. But she also had to "maintain the links she had forged on the ground", "receive complaints", "make the link between me and her husband" ...

The court wonders: Ms. Fillon lived part of the week in Paris, had no dedicated office or equipment ... "Concretely, how was she doing?" Mr. Joulaud answers "presence work" and "oral" collaboration.

"Without Ms. Fillon, you would not have been able to fulfill your role as an MP?" Nathalie Gavarino questions him.

- Ah yes ! he exclaims. When I start, I don't know people. "

- "Coupling" -

Called to the bar, Penelope Fillon confirms having brought her "legitimacy". And if they do not appear together in the photos, it was out of "concern for discretion". "I didn't want to sound like I was trying to crush it," she says.

During the investigation, François Fillon had explained that the action of his wife should make it possible to compensate for Marc Joulaud's great timidity.

Certainly, "less and less is more", quips the prosecutor Aurélien Létocart. "But you are described as extremely shy, Ms. Fillon as extremely discreet ... How can this team work concretely?"

- "I always tried to progress", eludes Marc Joulaud.

The second prosecutor, Bruno Nataf, reminds him of his local experience: "Wasn't the need rather to have assistants who help you understand the Assembly?

- Not at all."

In the course of the interrogations and the documents provided by the defense, there appeared above all a great blurring between the paid work of Mrs Fillon for the substitute Joulaud, ignored by the inhabitants of the district, and the activities which she carried out during the same period for her husband minister .

At the end of the afternoon, three former collaborators of François Fillon, cited by the defense, however came to insure the "essential" labor tribunal of Penelope Fillon.

Sylvie Fourmont, historical secretary to François Fillon, and former advisers Pierre Molager and Igor Mitrofanoff described a woman from the “field” with precious political “advice”.

Mr Mitrofanoff, himself a former parliamentary assistant, also considered that Mrs Fillon fulfilled the function of parliamentary collaborator "absolutely".

The trial resumes Thursday morning.

© 2020 AFP