INTERVIEW
It was an expected verdict. The couple Fillon was sentenced Monday in Paris, in the case of fictitious jobs of Penelope Fillon, wife of François Fillon. In addition to prison terms, ineligibility and fines, François and Penelope Fillon will have to reimburse more than one million euros to the National Assembly. A "harsh judgment" but "in line with other judgments" of the same type, commented Mr. Yves Claisse, the lawyer representing the National Assembly at the trial, Monday, on Europe 1.
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"Remuneration" to be reimbursed
The Fillon spouses will thus have to reimburse the salaries paid to Penelope Fillon as parliamentary assistant. "The amount of the sums allocated is in line with what we had asked for," said Maître Yves Claisse. They represent, he explains, not "not the sums collected but the sums paid extracted from the budget of the National Assembly, that is to say, remuneration, employee social contributions and employer social contributions", specifies he.
If according to the lawyer, the judgment is "severe", it is also "in line with other judgments that have been rendered in this area".
François Fillon was sentenced to five years in prison, two of which were closed. The criminal court added this penalty - which could not be changed - to a fine of 375,000 euros and ten years of ineligibility. The judges did not issue a warrant. His wife was sentenced to three years suspended prison, 375,000 euros fine and two years of ineligibility. The couple's lawyers immediately announced that they were appealing.