The former PS president of the Bouches-du-Rhône general council, Jean-Noël Guérini, is being prosecuted for "illegal taking of interests".

He is particularly suspected of having abused his power to promote the business of his brother Alexandre.

Eleven defendants have been tried since Monday before the Marseille Criminal Court. 

Did Jean-Noël Guérini abuse his power to promote the business of his brother Alexandre?

The former PS president of the Bouches-du-Rhône general council said he was "humiliated that his probity is questioned" Friday before the Marseille criminal court.

"I have always separated the private interests of my brother and the general interest, I have never mixed the genres," said the senator, prosecuted for "illegal taking of interest".

But the testimonies of former collaborators and the diffusion of telephone tapping between him and his brother showed him apparently more sensitive to the solicitations of his younger son than he claims.

Mentioned in the anonymous letter at the origin of the investigation, the preemption and then the sale by the General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône of the land of the Semaire family to the urban community Garlaban Huveaune Sainte-Baume (GHB) is at the origin of the lawsuits against the elected official and his brother.

"I have a clear conscience", assures Jean-Noël Guérini 

This land in La Ciotat, adjoining the "Mentaure" waste landfill center operated by Alexandre Guérini, then aroused much envy, including that of the entrepreneur who had to increase his storage capacity to meet the conditions of the call. of GHB bid he had won.

At the helm, the son-in-law of the former owner of the land assured that his family had been pressured to sell, "anonymous phone calls, loss of a wheel from one of his trucks on the highway" .

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"I have a clear conscience," assured Jean-Noël Guérini, stressing that it was the State and not him who had changed the destination of the field.

"I could not imagine that this decision would be made," he said.

In fact, the prefecture had already expressed its intention on several occasions to authorize the extension of the Center du Mentaure to neighboring land, in particular in a decree of November 2004.

Eleven defendants tried until April 9

So, did Jean-Noël Guérini knowingly maneuver to favor his brother?

"I never took care of his businesses," he hammered even though he admitted to having often been called upon by his younger brother.

"He had telephone disease" but "between what he told me to do and what I did, there was the Mediterranean," he said.

However on a listening, one hears the sub-prefect of Arles of the time, requested by the elected official for another field coveted by Alexandre, explaining to him: "Tell your brother that he contact me, I will fix everything ".

Eleven defendants, including the two Guérini brothers, have been on trial since Monday before the Marseille Criminal Court in this sprawling case of "clientelist system", according to the prosecution.

The trial is scheduled to last until April 9.