Pierre-Jean Chalençon at his home at the Palais Vivienne in Paris on December 15, 2020. -

TELBA / LMS / SIPA

After the indignant reactions of politicians this weekend, M6's report on "an illegal restaurant located in the beautiful districts" of the capital is now of interest to justice.

The Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz on Sunday opened a criminal investigation "of the counts of endangering others and of covert work", in order to "verify whether parties were organized in disregard of health rules and to determine what were any organizers and participants ”.

In the hidden camera report, other images show a private pay party, where dozens of guests appeared without masks, some kissing each other.

One of the organizers, presented as a “collector”, said in a disguised voice-over: “I had dinner this week in two or three restaurants which are supposedly underground restaurants, with a certain number of ministers”.

"The meaning of the absurd"

In view of the images of M6 and their previous publications on the networks, this man has been identified by several media and Internet users such as Pierre-Jean Chalençon, owner of the “Palais Vivienne”, located in the center of Paris.

The latter, through a press release from his lawyer on Sunday evening, implicitly admitted to being this source.

But he pleaded that he only made "humor" and wielded "a sense of the absurd", when he assured that ministers participated in such meals.

Pierre-Jean Chalençon is also not at his first attempt in the controversy.

In a video in February, he indicated to organize in his residence of the “lunches or dinners” with the restaurateur Christophe Leroy.

The government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, "must come to dinner soon", also launched that same month Pierre-Jean Chalençon.

In response, Gabriel Attal said he had "discovered this extract this [Sunday] evening on Twitter with great astonishment".

"He does not know Mr. Chalençon and has obviously never participated in any dinner or evening," said his entourage.

Now it's up to the Personal Delinquency Repression Brigade (BRDP) to disentangle the true from the false.

Society

The restrictions are not at this stage planned to go "beyond 4 weeks", according to Attal

Politics

Marlène Schiappa wants sanctions for ministers who do not respect confinement

  • Controversy

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Paris

  • Rumor