Published
Article written by
/2021/12/14/61b8b9accb57c_france-3.png)
Tuesday, September 13, the mayor of Saint-Étienne was placed in police custody as part of an investigation for blackmail against one of his collaborators. He denies the facts, despite evidence from “Mediapart”.
Gaël Perdriau, mayor of Saint-Étienne (Loire), and his chief of staff are under accusation. They would have blackmailed the former first deputy mayor using an intimate video, even if they deny the facts. However, “Mediapart” revealed a conversation with the mayor, recorded in his office in 2018. During an exchange, Gaël Perdriau threatens his collaborator, Gilles Artigues, to broadcast this video in order to curb his political ambitions.
“There was a working atmosphere that was extremely difficult (…) some left, I weigh my words, saying, broken”, testifies Michèle Petit, retired civil servant of the town hall of Saint-Étienne, who is not surprised by these revelations. The inhabitants of Saint-Étienne (Loire) are disappointed by this affair. The elected representatives of the LR majority in the city condemn the mayor’s remarks. The Republicans have launched an exclusion procedure against Gaël Perdriau. Opponents of the mayor are asking for the withdrawal of the people incriminated in the case.