“There is a real humiliation felt”, declared on franceinfo Maître Philippe Bouchez El Ghozi, the lawyer of Claude Guéant, after the imprisonment of his client Monday, December 13 in the prison of Health. This imprisonment follows a decision of the Paris Court of Appeal in early November which revoked part of his suspension and his parole. She felt that he was not making the necessary payments to pay the fine he had been imposed as part of his conviction in 2017 in the case of cash bonuses of the Ministry of the Interior. “He feels he is being treated in an extremely harsh manner”, explained his lawyer, who was also concerned about the state of health of his soon-to-be 77-year-old client, “incompatible with incarceration.”
franceinfo: Claude Guéant really does not have the means to pay what he owes to the State?
Philippe Bouchez El Ghozi: He still has to pay a sum of 115,000 euros. For two years, he has been paying 3,000 euros per month, which is seized on his pensions, in the amount of 5,500 euros. He has around 1,600 euros left to live on and his suspension and parole have been revoked, considering that he should have paid more. The problem is, to pay more, you have to have more. He doesn’t have more. Today, he no longer has the 3,000 euros seized each month for the benefit of the Public Treasury. Justice examined the situation, there was a patrimonial investigation to see if indeed there were no hidden bank accounts with hidden money, but nothing was found because there was nothing. And despite that, there was that November decision.
Why does justice think when he can pay more?
Claude Guéant had financial difficulties. At one point, he sold two or three pieces of furniture, and he wanted to help his children who had helped him before, and in particular one of them who was in great financial difficulty. Justice reproached him for having earmarked a payment for the benefit of his children and not for the benefit of the State. This was one of the reasons for this revocation.
Are you waiting for an adjustment?
That’s what I’m going to ask. I will especially wait to see what will decide the doctors of the remand center since the doctors who follow Claude Guéant, who will be 77 years old in January, have attested that his state of health did not allow detention. Either they consider that the detention is not compatible with his state of health, or they consider that the detention is compatible with a certain number of precautions, and in this case, I will indeed refer the case to the judge responsible for the execution of the sentences. to request a home sentence adjustment. And then I know that around him, a lot of people are trying to mobilize to try to lend him money and ensure that the State can be reimbursed. The faster the better, because I am very worried about his physical situation.
Claude Guéant had he prepared for this incarceration? Does he feel humiliated?
When one has had the functions he has had, when one has been a great clerk of the State, there is no other word, there is a felt humiliation. He had prepared for it, he was perfectly aware of the dangers. But when you don’t have the money to pay, you are forced to explain your situation and had hoped to be heard by justice. She decided otherwise. So he also feels he is being treated extremely harshly in this situation.