MADRID, 22 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The French Court of Justice has appointed former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as an “assisted witness”, halfway between a mere declarant and accused, in his investigation into the management of the French Government during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Philippe will appear next Monday under an aggravated witness status for, according to France Info, “endangering the lives of others” and “voluntary refraining from combating a disaster.”
The former prime minister already appeared for the first time on Tuesday, October 18, almost a week before the initial summons date, but has been unable to convince the three magistrates of the CJR investigation commission to avoid a public trial . It should be remembered that Philippe denied, in an interview with ‘Le Parisien’ on October 8, any accusation against him.
The judges are trying to elucidate whether members of the Government may have had any responsibility in the management of the coronavirus and its spread, particularly during the first wave, and in the subsequent weeks that resulted in more than 150,000 deaths in the country.
The Minister of Health at the time, Agnès Buzyn, and her successor, Olivier Véran, also appear in the instruction being carried out by the Court, the only body authorized to prosecute and judge members of the government for crimes or misdemeanors committed in the exercise of his work.
