The mayor of Gosier, Guadeloupe, who has been wanted since July 20 for alleged embezzlement, was arrested and taken into police custody on Wednesday July 27 “as he got off the plane,” Pointe-à prosecutors said -Pitre AFP with .
“A search is being carried out in two apartments,” said the public prosecutor’s office, confirming information from local media.
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Charged with “active and passive corruption”
A search warrant had been issued against Guadeloupe’s elected official, Cédric Cornet, who failed to appear at the summons on alleged embezzlement charges. The Pointe-à-Pitre prosecutor, Patrick Desjardins, then spoke of a “demonstrated desire not to comply with this subpoena” on the part of the city council. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the elected official was to be questioned by the police as part of an open investigation “in particular against the heads of the concealment for misuse of company assets, embezzlement of public funds and active and passive corruption”.
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Cédric Cornet had denied in the local media that he had been informed of his summons and – via a press release from his lawyer – denounced “implacability” against him. He had also indicated that he was “on his honeymoon” and said he was “ready to cut it short”, specifying 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 minor under the age of 15. He had been elected mayor of Gosier the following year.