A lawyer on the steps of the Palais de Justice in Toulouse.

Drawing.

-

FrŽdŽric Scheiber / 20MINUTES

  • The former n ° 2 of the Occitanie tax authorities was to be tried this Friday, with his wife, in a corruption case.

  • They are suspected of having warned a restaurateur and a businessman of the impending tax audit and of helping them mitigate its effects.

  • But the defendants' lawyers, judging the police investigation biased, obtained the appointment of an investigating judge in this case.

  • The investigation will suddenly continue.

A trial that is pschitt… This Friday, March 5, the criminal court of Toulouse which was to judge for corruption and violation of professional secrecy the former number 2 of the tax office of Occitanie and his wife, also a senior tax official, kicked in touch.

And asked the prosecution to review its copy by seizing an investigating judge to conduct a new investigation.

"We are very satisfied, because that means that this case that we were about to judge on the sly was badly oriented, badly worked," asserts Thierry Carrère, one of the couple's lawyers.

Behind him, the couple, who deny everything, throw themselves, tears in their eyes, into each other's arms.

For them, dismissal tastes of victory ...

But the case, revealed by the news site Médiacités, is far from being folded.

In addition to the offenses of corruption and violation of professional secrecy, Marc Menvielle, former deputy director of public finance for the Occitanie region, remains suspected of concealment, complicity in illegal taking of interest and embezzlement in the exercise of a public function. .

At his side, his wife, Karine, former head of a department of the specialized tax control department in the department, is still being blamed for illegal taking of interests, violation of professional secrecy and concealment of corruption.

“It's a witchcraft trial.

They shouted their innocence, sometimes in tears, “thunders their second lawyer, Laurent Roguet.

Telescoping with other cases

They are accused of having alerted a restaurateur and a businessman of an upcoming tax audit and given the procedure to follow to mitigate its effects.

The first, Philippe Lacassagne, one of the owners of the Compagnie Française restaurant, is suspected of having been in possession of "secret" information.

The second, Guy Lahournère, for having proposed a trip to China and Mauritius to the Menvielle spouses, "all expenses paid".

Both were also subpoenaed.

“They are honest people,” swears Simon Cohen, advice from the restaurant owner.

From the outset the lawyers sounded the charge by attacking the impartiality of the president of the correctional court, which last week passed to the grill of justice of the restaurateurs, including Philippe Lacassagne, who would have evaded the tax authorities, thanks to the advice of the Menvielle spouses. .

If these suspicions of impartiality were not retained, the request made to the prosecution to review its copy hit the mark.

This case, which could be disoriented, could also be coupled with that which concerns the former deputy Laurence Arribagé, first deputy to the mayor of Toulouse, and a former vice-prosecutor of Toulouse, suspected of having launched a tax investigation on Corinne Vignon, LREM deputy and rival of Laurence Arribagé, all with the supposed help of the Menvielle couple.

Justice

Toulouse: the former number 2 of public finance in Occitanie tried for corruption

Justice

Toulouse: Did a tax boss, a deputy mayor and a magistrate make a pact against an LREM candidate?

  • Justice