Christophe Girard and Anne Hidalgo in February 2019. - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

  • The City of Paris has discovered three expense reports incurred by the former elected Christophe Girard for meals with the writer accused of pedophilia Gabriel Matzneff. 
  • One of them was transmitted to the Paris prosecutor's office by Anne Hidalgo.
  • Under pressure by environmentalists, Christophe Girard, who had denied any proximity to Gabriel Matzneff, resigned last week.

The revelations continue after the thunderclaps at the town hall which keep shaking the walls of the Town Hall. Last week, the City of Paris discovered three expense reports incurred by the former elected Christophe Girard for meals with the writer accused of pedophilia Gabriel Matzneff, said first deputy Emmanuel Grégoire on Tuesday confirming information from Mediapart.

According to Mediapart , the services of the City of Paris have found restaurant bills dating from 2019, 2017 and 2016. The first was sent to the Paris prosecutor's office which opened an investigation for “rape of minors” targeting Gabriel Matzneff. “Mayor Anne Hidalgo wanted to play with transparency,” explained Emmanuel Grégoire.

“Not at all” incriminating expense reports

As part of this investigation, Christophe Girard was heard in March, in particular as former secretary general of Maison Yves-Saint Laurent between 1986 and 1987, a structure which provided financial support to the writer.

Under pressure by environmentalists, Christophe Girard, who had denied any proximity to Christophe Matzneff, resigned last week from his post of Deputy Culture, just after the discovery of these invoices. He had denounced "a general deleterious climate".

The three expense reports are "in no way" incriminating, nor "dissociating from what Christophe Girard said" of his relationship with Matzneff, assured Emmanuel Grégoire to AFP.

“First of all, because eating with someone does not qualify as a criminal sanction. And, secondly, Christophe Girard made no secret of having had contact with Gabriel Matzneff, whom he does not qualify as friendly but as professionals, ”he continued. Did the discovery of these notes precipitate the decision to resign from Christophe Girard?

The chosen one was "in reflection for a while"

The elected was "in reflection for a while" and "could not bear to be under such malicious pressure", replied Emmanuel Grégoire, deploring "an immense injustice which is to confuse having known Gabriel Matzneff with accusations has minimum pedophilia or even more shocking amalgamations ”.

The Girard case caused serious tensions between Anne Hidalgo and her environmental allies three weeks after their renewal to the Paris City Hall.

Thursday, while the first Paris Council of the term of office was held, around thirty elected representatives and feminist activists gathered on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville. They demanded the opening of an internal investigation and the suspension of the deputy, heard in March in the investigation of the so-called Matzneff affair, and released free from his hearing.

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  • Paris city hall
  • Anne Hidalgo
  • Justice
  • Investigation
  • Gabriel Matzneff
  • Paris