Dupond-Moretti did not betray the main accused, according to letters

The current Minister of Justice did not betray Wojciech Janowski, accused of murdering a billionaire, when he pleaded guilty on his behalf at the first trial

Twist on Wednesday at the appeal trial of the murder of a Monegasque billionaire: letters indicated that the lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti, current Minister of Justice, had not betrayed the main accused when he pleaded guilty in his name at the first trial.

In 2018, Wojciech Janowski, former honorary consul of Poland in Monaco, was sentenced to life imprisonment for having ordered the murders in 2014 of his mother-in-law, Monegasque billionaire Hélène Pastor, and his trusted man, Mohamed Darwich. .

Janowski cried conspiracy

At the opening of this new trial before the Assize Court of Appeal of Bouches-du-Rhône, he cried out "conspiracy", proclaiming his innocence and assuring that his former lawyer, Me Dupond-Moretti, had it. "Betrayed" by pleading guilty against his will at the end of the first trial.

"Serious" accusations for the president of the court Patrick Ramaël who had seized in a completely exceptional way the Prime Minister Jean Castex to ask him to be able to hear the Keeper of the Seals as a witness.

183 letters revealed

It was without counting an incredible twist. Tuesday, a friend of the main accused had slipped in his testimony to have at his home 183 letters exchanged with Mr. Janowski since the beginning of the case. Seizing the ball in the air, the presiding judge immediately requested that these letters be seized. And Tuesday evening the gendarmes went to the heights of Nice to proceed with the putting under seal of these mails. Wednesday afternoon, this seal arrived at the hearing. A Polish interpreter was summoned and began to translate the written letters live immediately after the first trial.

October 21, 2018, Janowski said to his friend: “I am innocent.

To avoid life imprisonment, my lawyers have decided to say that I am guilty, but in part ”.

He then details the defense strategy and adds: "The lawyers informed me and I agreed."

"You said" my lawyers betrayed me "and there you write that it was a strategy with your agreement, not against you", calls out the president.

"I confirm to you: my lawyers betrayed me", maintains the defendant, now 72 years old.

But for the lawyers on the benches of the civil parties, there is no doubt that he is lying, he who has already changed positions several times in this case.

Dupond-Moretti will not take the helm

"He is a liar… We must stop pretending to believe him", declared Me Dominique Mattei, lawyer for his ex-partner, Sylvia, the daughter of Hélène Pastor.

"We can not under the pretext of wanting to defend themselves say anything about lawyers" especially when they are in government functions, stormed Me Thierry Herzog, one of the lawyers of the son of Hélène Pastor, Gildo.

Consequently, the president announced to give up the convocation of the Keeper of the Seals which “is no longer the object of being” and requested the translation in writing for Tuesday of part of these letters so that they are paid. on file.

Distraught Janowski

For its part, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday rejected the president's initial request while paving the way for a possible written deposition, according to government sources. In the box, Wojciech Janowski, usually combative, seemed distraught. Earlier in the day, he had listened with great attention to the testimony for more than three hours of his former companion, Sylvia Ratkowski-Pastor, with whom he had a daughter.

She described this “tsunami” which changed her life and that of her daughters.

And she recounted the brief interview she had with her ex-boyfriend before he was indicted in June 2014: “I was excessively furious (…).

He tells me he's the one who commissioned it.

I tell him "why?"

He said to me: "it is to save you" ".

He was crying during this scene.

She says she fainted after this interview.

This trial, where four other defendants are retried, is due to last until November 19.

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