The four people placed in police custody Thursday in the investigation opened on dubious proxies established for the municipal ones in Marseilles in the sector won by the ex-PS senator Samia Ghali, left without legal continuation, one learned Friday from consistent sources. The police custody was lifted Thursday between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., a source familiar with the matter said. They concerned a police commander working in these popular neighborhoods north of Marseille, two running mate Samia Ghali and an activist, adds this source, confirming information from the regional daily La Provence .
"The investigation continues"
"The investigation is continuing, judicial decisions will be taken when it is completed," said Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens, confirming the lifting of these police custody. "The procedure is unfortunately always similar and therefore does not allow us to ascertain the real will of the principal to establish a power of attorney," said Dominique Laurens on Thursday evening, referring to the conditions under which these powers of attorney were established - without the principal is not present, as provided by law.
This investigation into questionable powers of attorney in the 8th sector of Marseille was opened on July 6 by the Marseille prosecutor's office. As part of these investigations, several police officers had already been heard "on the procedure for collecting powers of attorney", said the prosecutor.
The consequence of a first survey in the 4th and 6th sectors
This investigation targeting the 8th sector is in fact the direct consequence of a first investigation opened in Marseille on other questionable powers of attorney, in the 4th and 6th sectors, two bastions of the Republicans. This first investigation into possible "fraudulent maneuvers" and "forgery and uses of forgery" had been opened after France 2 and the weekly Marianne had revealed these "simplified proxies", proposed in particular by an elected LR as well as by a running mate. Martine Vassal, the candidate of the Republicans for the city, in the 4th sector. Then it was extended to suspicion around the vote of residents of a Ehpad in the 6th sector, residents sometimes suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's.
If Julien Ravier, outgoing LR mayor, was re-elected in the 6th sector, Martine Vassal, president of the metropolis and of the department, was beaten in the 4th sector, the fief of Jean-Claude Gaudin, LR mayor of the city for 25 years. The latter passed the baton to Michèle Rubirola, elected under the banner of Printemps Marseille, a left-wing coalition whose executive Samia Ghali joined.