the mayor of Agde, in Hérault, and a woman “clairvoyant and medium” who allegedly manipulated him are indicted

The female medium, friend of the mayor of Agde, managed to make him believe in the existence of a “voice coming from beyond” and thus benefited from “numerous services”.

After 48 hours in police custody, Gilles d’Ettore, the mayor of Agde in Hérault, was indicted on Thursday March 21 for “embezzlement by a person holding public authority, illegal taking of interests and corruption”, indicates the Béziers public prosecutor’s office in a press release. The elected official was then placed in pre-trial detention, reports France Bleu Hérault.

A woman presenting herself as a clairvoyant, medium and healer was also indicted for “fraud, concealment of embezzlement by a person holding public authority, concealment of corruption, and concealed work”, specifies the prosecution. She was also placed in pre-trial detention. As for her husband, current director of technical services at the town hall of Agde, he was also indicted for “concealment of illegal taking of interests, concealment of embezzlement by a person holding public authority, concealment of corruption. But he was placed under judicial supervision with a ban on exercising his function as director of technical services and entering into contact with “a long list of protagonists in the procedure”.

A ploy to make people believe in a supernatural being

While in police custody, the woman admitted to having used a ploy consisting of altering her voice with numerous people, including members of her family and close friends. “By using this seemingly masculine voice on the phone, calm and hoarse, she managed to make them believe that they were in conversation with a supernatural being from the beyond”, specifies the prosecution. This “voice” mainly encouraged its interlocutors to care about the well-being of this woman, including materially. According to the Béziers public prosecutor’s office, this woman is suspected of having declared only part of her income as part of her self-employed activity in Agde as a clairvoyant, medium and “healer”. This activity allowed him to develop a significant clientele by acquiring a certain notoriety locally.

Concerning the mayor of Agde, he had become one of her closest friends since their meeting in May 2020. She had managed to make him believe in the existence of “the voice” and had thus benefited “numerous services of different nature, mainly from the mayor of Agde”. During her police custody, the latter confirmed the investigative elements allowing her to suspect that the intervention of “the voice” had been decisive in deciding the mayor of Agde to recruit within the municipality or agglomeration , five people who are members of this woman’s family or her close friendly entourage, including her own husband as technical director of the town hall.

The mayor realized while in police custody that he was the victim of a scam

During his custody, the right-wing elected official admitted to having been convinced of the existence of “the voice” and that this woman, whom he considered his daughter, was gifted with supernatural powers. It was only when investigators showed him a video of the woman altering her voice that he realized he had been scammed. On the other hand, he denies having committed any crime. On the opposition side, Thierry Nadal told France Bleu Hérault that he did not “at no time did I see any signs of insanity” from the mayor. He adds : “We always had someone in front of us who was very relevant”.

The Béziers public prosecutor’s office indicates that the investigations will still take several months under the authority of the investigating magistrate. A judicial investigation has been opened against “. At the same time, around forty people were also interviewed in this case by investigators.