Cédric Cornet, the mayor of Gosier in Guadeloupe, was arrested on Wednesday July 27 and taken into police custody “as he was getting off the plane,” Pointe-à-Pitre prosecutor Patrick Desjardins told the Agence France- Press with (AFP). Mr Cornet has been wanted since July 20 for alleged embezzlement.
“A search is being carried out in two apartments,” said the public prosecutor’s office, confirming information from local media.
A search warrant had been issued against the Guadeloupe elected official who failed to appear for a subpoena. The Pointe-à-Pitre prosecutor then spoke of a “demonstrated desire not to comply with this subpoena” on the part of the city council.
Active and passive corruption
According to the public prosecutor, the elected official was to be questioned by the police as part of an open investigation “in particular against the leaders of the concealment of the misuse of company assets, the embezzlement of public funds and active and passive corruption”.
Cédric Cornet had denied in the local media that he had been informed of his summons, and he had denounced “implacability” against himself in a press release from his lawyer. He also stated that he was “on his honeymoon” and said he was “ready to cut it short” and indicated that he had no intention of evading justice.
Cédric Cornet has been on the sex offender file since his conviction on appeal in 2019 to two years’ probation, five years of social court prosecution and a fine of 16,000 euros for sexually assaulting a young girl under the age of 15. He had been elected mayor of Gosier the following year.