adminThe cases dated from Chirac’s time as mayor of Paris from 1977 and 1995 when he built the centre-right Gaullist party that launched his successful presidential bid. “Jacques Chirac has breached the duty of probity required for public officials, to the detriment of the public interest of Parisians,” said tribunal judge, Dominique Pauthe.
Although he himself was not in court, Chirac’s daughter was present to hear the verdict, which she said was harsh.
Christian Malard, a Paris-based journalist, told Al Jazeera that a two-year suspended prison sentence “is not that bad”. “If it had been two years full-time imprisonment that would have been devastating and terrible,” he said.
Chirac denied the charges and his defence appeared to have been bolstered by Paris prosecutors who urged the court to drop the case against him and nine others accused in the trial. — Al Jazeera.
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