An urgent private trip or a way to warn Nicolas Sarkozy that his unofficial phone was tapped?

A "hasty" trip to Monaco in 2014 by Thierry Herzog, the lawyer for the former president, occupied the court on Monday at the appeal trial of the "eavesdropping".

“You are not the image of tranquility”: at the end of the afternoon, the president of the Paris Court of Appeal addresses, amused, Nicolas Sarkozy, who ends a long diatribe at the bar to defend themselves against any "corruption pact".

Judged on appeal since December 5, the former head of state is suspected of having promised, via his lawyer Thierry Herzog, a "boost" to the high magistrate Gilbert Azibert, in exchange for confidential information on a appeal he had lodged with the Court of Cassation.

At the heart of this file, conversations between Me Herzog and Sarkozy recorded on an open line in the name of "Paul Bismuth", dedicated to exchanges between the two men.

Hasty trip

On the last day of the interrogation of the three defendants, the debates focused on the reasons for a trip by Me Herzog, on February 25, 2014, to Monaco: two conversations held the next day suggested to the investigators that, on that day , the attorney learned that the "Bismuth" line was tapped.

In an exchange on the "unofficial" line then on the "official" line, Nicolas Sarkozy declares that he did not "take the step" for Gilbert Azibert, whereas he had so far committed to giving him a helping hand ".

Thierry Herzog and Nicolas Sarkozy report on this trip to Monaco by referring to another case: that of the discussions recorded by a former Elysée adviser, Patrick Buisson.

The lawyer claims at the bar that day that he had a "conversation with a journalist" who had told him that extracts were going to be published in the press, concerning the ex-president and his wife, Carla Bruni.

Talking about the Buisson case

A case that “is going to be an explosion” required a discussion in person, argues the lawyer, who adds that he had to come and see the former president and his family anyway “in cure” on the “Rock”.

The "strict purpose" of this trip was to talk about the Buisson affair, then abounds Nicolas Sarkozy.

If his lawyer travels, he says, it is "to see (his) wife", "embarked" in a case "which will cause a stir in the media" because of Patrick Buisson, a "sinister individual", who is “came to dinner with us ripped off with microphones”.

In the room, Carla Bruni nods her head in approval.

"We are taken by the throat, stunned, arms and legs cut off", assures Sarkozy in a cavernous voice, adding that, for Thierry Herzog, "it is not a question of coming to Acapulco (but) of coming to his home in Nice, not far from Monaco.

“I'm a thousand miles from imagining that Bismuth is being listened to!

he says.

"Last adventure"

The former president then recalls the preliminary investigation opened by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) to identify a possible "mole" who would have informed Me Herzog.

"What did they find?"

Nothing !

he protests, recalling that the investigation was closed without further action.

“If I had any information, it's a sham.

If I haven't had it, I'm telling the truth", he concludes, repeating that he "never, never, never" has "done the process".

On March 3, however, Thierry Herzog told Gilbert Azibert on the telephone that "the approach to Monaco has been made".

Then he adds that he wants to tell him later "the last episode", even if there is "nothing urgent".

“We had to say certain things on the phone (…) because we learned certain things.

»

"By telling him that, I'm lying to him", assures Mr. Herzog, affirming that he "didn't want to hurt him" and intended to tell him later, "in person", that Nicolas Sarkozy had given up the "coup de inch ".

"The last incident" is for him the Buisson affair: he affirms that he was afraid that the conversations would come out one day in the press and that Gilbert Azibert would then learn that the president had "unkind words towards (his) respect ".

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  • Justice

  • Nicolas Sarkozy

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  • thierry herzog

  • patrick buisson

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  • Carla Bruni

  • Court case

  • Corruption