Paris (AFP)

"We did not buy a vote", defended Monday a former deputy mayor of Corbeil-Essonnes, on the first day of the trial of relatives of Serge Dassault, suspected of having participated in a system of electoral corruption during the elections. 2009 and 2010 polls.

Six people, including the outgoing LR mayor Jean-Pierre Bechter are on trial in Paris for their alleged involvement in a vote-buying system fueled by the fortune of the billionaire who died in 2018 at the age of 93.

The president of the 32nd chamber of the Paris judicial tribunal outlined the case on Monday, reading several testimonies from activists who described to investigators the recruitment of teams in the Tarterêts, Ermitage, Montconseil and de Platform.

These groups then took charge, according to these testimonies, of canvassing the inhabitants to convince them to vote for Mr. Bechter in exchange for donations, promises of housing or employment.

The investigations made it possible to trace a very important circulation of money via cash envelopes, loans granted and never repaid, the financing of fictitious associations, payments made from accounts in Luxembourg and Lebanon.

Millions of euros would have passed through.

The magistrate also read the transcripts of clandestine recordings of deputies to the mayor, local elected officials and in the office of Serge Dassault himself, during which these exchanges of money are mentioned.

Indicted in 2014, the aircraft manufacturer, mayor of the city until 2009, had recognized "donations" but denied any connection with the elections, claiming to be the victim of extortion by individuals "informed of his generosity. ".

After his death, only his relatives are in court.

On Monday, they were briefly invited to take a position on the facts with which they are accused.

"Completely unfounded," said Jean-Pierre Bechter, tried for "buying votes" and "illegal financing of an electoral campaign".

"We did not buy a vote," swore Jacques Lebigre, former deputy mayor.

Christelle de Oliveira, former Housing Assistant, prosecuted only for "concealment" and "laundering of illegal campaign financing", indicated partially acknowledging the facts.

Suspected intermediary, Younès Bounouara appears in the box - he was sentenced in 2018 for an assassination attempt linked to this case.

"Serge Dassault never asked me to buy anyone," he assured Monday.

The fifth defendant, Machiré Gassama, former director of Youth and Sports at the town hall, asserted his right to silence, and the sixth, a former municipal agent, was absent at the hearing, on the run since the start of the investigation .

Earlier in the afternoon, three defense lawyers argued that the referral to court was void.

The president announced that the court would rule on these issues after the trial.

© 2020 AFP