Nanterre (AFP)

The investigations concerning the LREM deputy Thierry Solère, suspected of embezzlement of public funds, tax evasion and passive influence peddling, are continuing with the indictment of six people, we learned Thursday from the Nanterre prosecutor's office.

Among them, several are at the head of companies for which Thierry Solère has worked as a consultant or employee, in parallel with his elected mandates. Four were indicted, between June 23 and July 7, for "active influence peddling and abuse of corporate assets", according to a source familiar with the matter.

Another leader and his wife, who briefly served as parliamentary attaché to Thierry Solère in 2014 had already been indicted before, according to the same source.

The indicted are suspected of having paid or granted favors to Thierry Solère in exchange for help in obtaining public contracts or regulatory favors when he was elected to the Hauts-de-Seine departmental council.

For example, a business manager of an IT company is suspected of having obtained several public contracts from the department, in return for remuneration.

An amendment tabled in the National Assembly by Thierry Solère advocating exemption from customs taxes for vehicles transporting hazardous waste is also in the sights of investigators.

The deputy was in fact an employee of Chimirec, a company specializing in the collection and treatment of industrial waste, and the investigators are interested in possible influence peddling. The amendment was ultimately rejected.

Other companies like Aliapur (recycling), or a real estate developer friend of the deputy are also at the center of the investigations.

Thierry Solère was indicted in October 2019 in this case which put an end to his political career. Recently, he accused the Nanterre public prosecutor's office of knowingly lying to obtain his lifting of parliamentary immunity in the summer of 2018.

He also requested the cancellation of his waiver of immunity, but the competent delegation of the National Assembly did not respond to his request at the end of June, not wishing in particular to interfere in a legal case, had Annie Genevard (LR), the president of this delegation, told AFP.

A complaint for "forgery and use of forgery" against the prosecutor of Nanterre Catherine Denis filed by the deputy was dismissed last March.

"There was not a market obtained thanks to, with or under the influence of Solère", insisted his lawyer Me Pierre-Olivier Sur. "It is a scandalous file which shames our democracy," he said, denouncing an opaque preliminary investigation in which his observations were not taken into account.

A hearing must take place in front of the investigating chamber in Versailles on September 25 to examine two queries for annulment filed by the elected official. He wishes to cancel his custody hearings as well as his indictment, given that "it is on forgery that this could be authorized following his lifting of immunity," said his lawyer.

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