At the center of an investigation into suspected foreign interference, the former BFM TV presenter admitted while in police custody that he had received money in return for broadcasting remote-controlled sequences. Completely contradictory to his statements before the parliamentary commission of inquiry.
He confessed. The former presenter of BFM TV, Rachid M'Barki, was taken into police custody as part of the investigation into suspicion of foreign interference in the media and political sphere in France and admitted that he was paid for the broadcast via the antenna without that there was a validation of topics that were fabricated from scratch on behalf of foreign states. According to Le Parisien's revelations, he admitted: “I received random amounts of money […]. Yes, I recognize the facts of passive corruption.” Before he clarified that this remuneration, which he estimated to be “between 6,000 and 8,000 euros,” was actually paid to him by the lobbyist Jean-Pierre Duthion. Rachid M'Barki therefore states that these transactions “took place five or six times, and [que] It wasn't for a specific task, but to say thank you. Payments were made, according to the Parisian, “in the form of banknotes, which Jean-Pierre Duthion passed from hand to hand in envelopes at meetings in Neuilly-sur-Seine.” The journalist adds: “At first I was a bit surprised and let's just say he was persistent and that's it, I accepted it. No doubt out of weakness. […] It is a violation, even a slap in the face, of journalistic ethics.”
“We never had lunch or dinner together”
These statements are in complete contradiction to his statements to the parliamentary commission of inquiry in March. As a reminder, he then described the allegations that he had been paid to broadcast several sequences in the Journal de la nuit, particularly on the subject of Morocco or Sudan, as “pure slander”. He made it clear: “Colleagues will not contradict me, sometimes it's about an invitation to a restaurant, about excursions, about some kind of advantages, nothing like that has ever happened between Mr. Duthion and me.” He said he was “surprised” that the lobbyist could privately brag about paying journalists, adding: “As far as I'm concerned, he has never offered or even hinted that he could pay me to report information.” If it means you to say that we saw each other every now and then, that we had a coffee and that he paid for the coffee, yes. But it never got beyond that, we never had lunch or dinner together.”
His confessions to the economic crime suppression brigade also undermine the statements of Jean-Pierre Duthion himself. Who assured before the same commission in April: “I have never paid a journalist and never corrupted anyone.” I read in the press that I would privately boast about paying elected officials and journalists: That’s wrong.”
“The editor-in-chief tonight is a little eager.”
Likewise, Rachid M'Barki had assured parliamentarians that he had always “worked in complete transparency” and “never hid anything from anyone”. [son] work”. An indication that the incriminated sequences did not in reality raise eyebrows among the hierarchy. However, Le Parisien tells us that the investigators got their hands on messages that were addressed to Jean-Pierre Duthion and in which Rachid M 'Barki, apparently taking some precautions, wrote: “Friend, can we postpone this until tomorrow?” The editor-in-chief tonight is a little eager, I don't want this to be a problem…”
Contradictions that have not escaped Jean-Philippe Tanguy, President (RN) of the commission of inquiry into interference, who pointed out this Friday, January 19, on the X platform (ex-Twitter): “The work of the commission of inquiry, which I had the honor of chairing hit the nail on the head. In view of these revelations, Mr. M'Barki, but also the lobbyist Mr. Duthion, lied to parliamentarians under oath. I will therefore contact the relevant authorities.” The MP contacted by CheckNews confirmed that he is examining the different options for reporting these facts to the courts – in particular whether he should take responsibility for reporting as president or report them to the office of the Assembly should be left. “If it drags on, I’ll do it myself,” he assures.
The work of the investigative commission, which I chaired, was precisely to the point.
In view of these revelations, Mr M'Barki, but also the “lobbyist” Mr Duthion, lied to parliamentarians under oath.
I will therefore contact the relevant authorities. https://t.co/04NaYc8z7z
— Jean-Philippe Tanguy Ⓜ️ (@JphTanguy) January 19, 2024
CheckNews explained this in a previous article: The offense of “false statement” is punishable by imprisonment and fines. The Regulation of November 17, 1958 on the functioning of parliamentary assemblies clarifies that in the event of “false testimony or insinuation by witnesses”, the provisions of Articles 434-13, 434-14 and 434-15 of the Penal Code apply respectively ” . From a legal point of view, this clearly means that lying before a parliamentary commission of inquiry and before a court or a criminal police officer is the same thing. We are then guilty of the same offense of “false testimony” and, above all, are subject to the same sanctions . In this case: five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. The penalty is increased to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros if the lie is “provoked by the granting of a donation or other reward” and “if the person, against or for whose benefit the false statement was made, is liable to a criminal.” Penalty.
Effective convictions for this reason are quite rare.
There are regular allegations of false statements before parliamentary commissions of inquiry. The parliamentary commission of inquiry into the grievances of sports associations only initiated legal action in accordance with Section 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure at the beginning of January. His report in this case targets seven French sports leaders, including Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), who is suspected of making “false statements” regarding the salary of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, now minister in the post of director general, to have made the FFT. The Paris public prosecutor's office said an investigation was initiated immediately.
However, effective convictions for this reason have so far been rare. An example comes from 2018: This is the case of pulmonologist Michel Aubier. He had sworn before the Senate Commission on the Costs of Air Pollution three years earlier that he had “no vested interests with economic actors” in the fossil fuel sector. Comments were later refuted by a Libération investigation and earned the doctor a €20,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Rachid M'Barki remains charged with “passive corruption” and “breach of trust” in the foreign interference case. In addition to Jean-Pierre Duthion, who was charged in particular with “private corruption” and “influence peddling” and placed under judicial supervision, Nabil Ennasri, a political scientist specializing in Qatar, is also suspected of “breach of trust,” “corruption and influencing the public.” Officials” and “Money laundering due to serious tax fraud”. And who has been in custody since October 4th.