“He is the first not to be afraid of the powerful,” declares former anti-corruption judge Éric Halphen

He was a “modest man with great culture and a great sense of humor,” added Éric Halphen, who knew him well, on Friday on franceinfo.

“As a judge, he opened the way”declares, Friday May 10 on franceinfo, Éric Halphen, former anti-corruption judge and writer, close to former judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke, who died at the age of 71 and known for having notably investigated the Elf, Kerviel and Cahuzac cases. .

“He was the first to not be afraid of the names of politicians and powerful people. He worked completely independently with great courage and great technical expertise”, adds Éric Halphen. But according to him, in this type of case, “courage is not enough”, you also need to know your files well: “He worked enormously, knew his files by heart and knew all the tricks of the investigating judge’s trade”.

“He is someone who I hope will remain in the memories of future magistrates because he was likely to inspire us.”

Éric Halphen, former anti-corruption judge

on franceinfo

In complex cases that mix finance and politics, “we simply have a task to accomplish, we have a file on which we must try to find out the truth as best as possible”explains the former judge. “As a result, we try to investigate, launch investigations, carry out interrogations or indictments without questioning the possible risks.” According to him, when Renaud Van Ruymbeke “instructed the cases which affected the PS, in the same way as I did on the RPR affair, we do not ask ourselves the question of why we are there but we are there and we simply try to remain ourselves and to instruct.”

Éric Halphen says to himself “penalty” of “losing a model as a judge and a friend as a man”. He describes his friend as a “modest man of great culture, with a great sense of humor”, Who “never had a big head” and from which he retains “the laugh”. A man “who still had a say in improving our society”.