Paris (AFP)

A search took place Tuesday morning at the home of the former high commissioner for pensions, Jean-Paul Delevoye, in Bapaume (Pas-de-Calais), as part of an investigation into his non-compliant declaration of interests which had caused his resignation in December, we learned Tuesday from concordant sources, confirmed by the Paris prosecutor's office.

The search took place "in the morning and is finished", clarified with AFP the entourage of Mr. Delevoye who was mayor of Bapaume for 30 years.

Mr. Delevoye is the subject of a preliminary investigation opened on December 19 by the prosecution, seized by the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP).

She had reported her incomplete declaration of interests and a possible "concealment of abuse of social property" for having cumulated his government remuneration with that of president of the think tank Parallaxe.

Faced with the cascade of press revelations about his parallel activities, Jean-Paul Delevoye had resigned in the midst of a social conflict over his pension reform. He had been replaced in this key function by the deputy LREM Laurent Pietraswewski.

The investigation, entrusted to the Central Office for Combating Corruption and Financial and Tax Offenses (OCLCIFF), concerns suspicions of "breach of trust", "abuse of corporate assets" and concealment of these crimes, according to the parquet.

This winter, the High Authority had considered that Mr. Delevoye's failure to declare was likely to constitute a criminal offense, "because of their number, the nature of certain omitted interests and the risks of conflicts of interest with his governmental functions ".

Appointed as high commissioner in 2017, Mr. Delevoye had legally combined his remuneration as a senior civil servant with that of honorary president of Parallaxe since 2008, but he had failed to fulfill his obligation to inform the HATVP.

His entry into government in September 2019, however, made this cumulation illegal, since the Constitution prohibits "any professional activity" to members of the government.

"I kept it when I was appointed high commissioner, therefore high civil servant, then when I became a member of the government, which, I have learned since, was not authorized," explained Mr. Delevoye, recognizing an "error". Faced with the controversy, he undertook to reimburse the sums collected during these three months, or just over 16,000 euros.

In his declaration of interests and activities, submitted in mid-November after entering government, the former high commissioner had only indicated, however, that he held multiple offices with the chairmanship of the think tank Parallaxe and two associations, as well as his function. past general delegate of the IGS training group.

The revelation of other mandates by the press had forced him to send the HATVP a rectified declaration comprising eight additional functions, including the past presidency of the Economic and Social Council (Cese) or the function of administrator of the SNCF Foundation.

© 2020 AFP