After the revelations the day before of an omission of 300,000 euros of income in his tax return, the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, defended himself this Thursday, arguing “an error” of his former accountant.

On Wednesday,

Mediapart

and

L'Opinion

had revealed that Eric Dupond-Moretti had failed to declare, in his statement for 2018-2019 (while he was still a lawyer) 300,000 euros from copyright and related to the show that he was playing in the theater at the time, and which should have generated 180,000 euros in taxes.

The fiscal situation of the minister "totally settled"

"It is my current accountant who realized an error which had been made by his predecessor", declared the minister in front of the cameras, on the sidelines of a trip to Troyes. “As soon as this error was pointed out to me, I informed the tax authorities on my own initiative,” he said. “These sums went through my current accounts and Urssaf and VAT were paid on these sums. The tax administration looked at this file carefully and said it was a mistake, ”he insisted.

The minister's entourage had indicated on Wednesday that the rectification had taken place and that the minister's fiscal situation was "totally settled".

"I have nothing else to say", concluded Eric Dupond-Moretti in front of the journalists, "except that I am wondering about the way in which some of your colleagues were seized of this news".

An investigation opened for "illegal taking of interest"

The Keeper of the Seals would undoubtedly have done without these revelations, a few days after an extremely rare search of the premises of the Ministry of Justice on July 1 and when he is summoned next week to the Court of Justice of the Republic in view of an indictment, a first for a minister in office.

The investigation by the CJR, the only one empowered to judge ministers, was opened in January for “illegal taking of interest”.

Eric Dupond-Moretti is suspected of having taken advantage of his duties as minister to settle accounts in cases in which he had been involved as a lawyer, by ordering administrative inquiries on several magistrates including three from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF ).

Justice

Eric Dupond-Moretti, a "serene" minister in the face of the throes of political life

Justice

Illegal acquisition of interests: Eric Dupond-Moretti summoned on July 16 to the Court of Justice of the Republic

  • Taxes

  • Eric Dupond-Moretti

  • Lawyer

  • Income tax

  • Copyright