"Spokesperson" of the suburbs, former advisor to the Minister of the Interior Jean-Pierre Chevènement, media figure, Karim Zéribi, 53, is on trial from Monday in Marseille, suspected of having misappropriated for personal political ends amounts from grants paid to associations. Director of societal engagement and ecological transition for SNCF, editorial writer for the program "Balance ton post!" »After having been one of the« Big mouths »of RMC, this former MEP (2012 to 2014) says he is the victim of a political plot.
His defender Me Michel Pezet will plead for the release of the elected representative of Marseilles whose last mandate of municipal councilor elected in 2014 under the label EELV has just ended, and who appears for breach of trust and abuse of social goods. His legal troubles began with an anonymous letter sent in June 2012 to the Marseilles prosecution, denouncing in particular the fictitious use of poster posters within Agir pour la Citoyitié (APC), an association founded in 2001 by Karim Zéribi, whose he had abandoned the presidency in 2006 to devote himself to his political battles.
At the end of a long investigation, the investigating judge concluded "a confusion of genres between the associative milieu and the political interest of its campaigns, the former funding the latter". According to the prosecution, the subsidies paid in 2008 to APC (more than 85,000 euros in all) did not entirely serve the social purpose of the association: the organization of the parliament of the suburbs, the encouragement of young people from the neighborhoods popular to register on the electoral lists or the operation "A boss for a neighborhood" intended to promote job creation in the suburbs.
On the other hand, the associative funds would have financed a survey on the notoriety of Mr. Zéribi, communication tools at his service, the rent of his political association "New France", all this, notes the investigating judge, with the aim to "improve and optimize the effectiveness of its electoral campaign without impacting the budget". Karim Zéribi defends himself from having been a de facto leader of APC and the recruitment agency Agir pour la Compétence, APC-R, created in 2005. In his eyes, the accusations targeting him are the expression of resentments from " slanderous and embittered people because they did not have the promised post in the event of an election victory ”.
"There is nothing concrete," said Me Pezet, defender of Kariù Zéribi. "There are testimonies for the prosecution but as much for the defense which must be taken into account". The trial, in which five other people will appear alongside Karim Zéribi, is scheduled to last until Wednesday.
Marseille
One of the sons of the elected Karim Zéribi indicted and imprisoned
Marseille
"I never received a single euro," says Karim Zéribi
- EELV
- Marseille
- Diversion
- Trial
- Justice