• Summoned by part of the Saint-Etienne political class to step back, Gaël Perdriau refuses to give up his mandates.

  • The mayor of Saint-Etienne maintains that he did not blackmail the sextape on his former first deputy Gilles Artigues.

  • "In legal terms today, the principle of the presumption of innocence justifies that it remains in place", argues his lawyer Christophe Ingrain.

The LR deputies from the Loire asked him to withdraw from his political functions.

The elected representatives of the opposition, too.

But Gaël Perdriau, the mayor of Saint-Etienne suspected of being involved in a case of sextape blackmail, will not abdicate.

He has no intention of giving up his mandates.

This is what his lawyer said on Wednesday on RTL.

“In legal terms today, there is no reason for him to withdraw.

I would even say that in legal terms today, the principle of the presumption of innocence justifies that it remains in place”, justifies Christophe Ingrain.

“Gaël Perdriau never threatened to use this film to obtain something from Gilles Artigues”

Gaël Perdriau "never used this film or the threat of broadcasting this film to obtain something from Gilles Artigues", he insists.

Monday evening,

Mediapart

had broadcast audio extracts from several conversations between the mayor of Saint-Etienne, Pierre Gauttieri his chief of staff and Gilles Artigues.

Damning excerpts in which Gauttieri claims to have "no faith or law", assumes to "operate like a criminal" and threatens his interlocutor to send the video to his children if he took the idea to file a complaint.

In turn, Gaël Perdriau warns him: the video could be broadcast ““in small circles, sparingly” or on the Internet.

“Once it's on the networks, it's no longer blackmail, it's execution,” he says.

“These are not glorious words”

“These are not glorious words, concedes his lawyer.

Is this excessive?

Yes, it is excessive.

Is it criminal?

No.

".

According to Christophe Ingrain, the fact that Gaël Perdriau was released after 3h30 in police custody, without any indictment or other charge against him, is revealing.

“It's quite rare for someone to be so guilty.

Obviously, this guilt is not so obvious for the magistrates, ”he replies.

In addition, Pierre Gauttierri came out of his silence to defend himself.

“Neither the mayor nor myself are the sponsors of this video,” he said in an interview broadcast Wednesday on the local television channel TV7.

Words reiterated this Thursday morning in the columns of

Progress

.

“I do not deny the veracity of the Mediapart document, my voice is easily recognized.

I want to apologize.

These remarks are unworthy of a chief of staff, ”he underlines before indicating that he too excluded resigning.

“At this stage I still remain presumed innocent.

I am not guilty… I will not be indicted.

I await the rest of the procedure with total serenity,” he concludes.

Policy

LR: Guillaume Peltier and Gaël Perdriau dismissed from their functions as vice-presidents of the party

Municipal elections

Municipal 2020 in Saint-Etienne: Gaël Perdriau bets on a recovery plan of 150 million euros

  • Blackmail

  • sextape

  • Mayor

  • Saint Etienne

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes