Скачать или смотреть Appeal in case of former French prime minister for embezzlement

(13 Oct 2004) SHOTLIST
1. Various exteriors of Court of Appeal
2. Police outside the court
3. Media pack surrounding one of the defendants
4. Defendant arriving
5. Various of lawyers and defendants arriving
6. Various of Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe arriving in a car
7. Juppe getting out of car
8. Cameras, pan to Juppe's lawyer Jean-Rene Farthouat (on the left) standing outside the court
9. Juppe leaving court and getting into a car
10. Car driving away
11. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Rene Farthouat, former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe's lawyer:
"Listen, he (Juppe) kept his promise to explain himself as well as he could. He said a number of things. You heard them, like I did, in the courtroom and you can draw a certain number of conclusions from it. It's clear. (Reporter question: He admits he wasn't vigilant enough?). He admits he wasn't vigilant enough (Reporter question: And that he was aware of it?) That's not at all what he said."
12. Car driving away
13. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Pierre Mignard, lawyer for the city of Paris:
(Reporter question: What was the difference with Juppe's behaviour in the previous trial?)
"Perhaps in fact emphasising a lack of attention, lack of vigilance, perhaps but I think that's not enough. (Reporter question: What else is needed?) To admit to it. I think that when you were the prime minister of the French Republic, serving the Republic, then you should admit. That is grandeur. I think the country would appreciate it. (Reporter question: Anything else he should do?) I have nothing else to say."
14. Exterior of court building

STORYLINE

Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe arrived at an appeals court in Versailles on Wednesday to fight a conviction that could end his political career.

Juppe, once seen as a potential successor to French President Jacques Chirac, admitted to the court to "errors, even faults" but said he did not intend to break the law.

He added that he had been "deeply shaken" by his January conviction for his role in a political financing scandal.

The 59-year-old hopes to overturn a suspended 18-month prison sentence that carried an additional 10-year ban from elected office.

His appeal hearing is expected to last at least until October 29.

Juppe was convicted for an illegal party funding scheme while he served as finance director at Paris City Hall during Chirac's tenure as mayor, from 1977 to 1995.

The verdict was an embarrassment to Chirac and, in shattering Juppe's political future, appeared to rob the president of a close ally who was widely seen as his favourite to succeed him.

The next elections are in 2007, and Chirac has not said if he will seek a third term.

Should Chirac leave office or be voted out, he would lose the presidential immunity which has protected him from questioning in this financing scandal and others.

In convicting Juppe, judges sanctioned a system of political financing in place under Chirac's watch at Paris City Hall.

City funds were used to pay personnel of Chirac's Rally for the Republic party, the UMP's predecessor. Bogus city jobs were created to hide the source of funding.

Juppe said the fake jobs system was commonly used by political parties and unions for 20 years.

Juppe was by far the most prominent of six defendants who went before the court in Versailles, west of Paris, on appeal.

Chirac has given fervent backing to Juppe since the conviction.

Their relationship dates to the 1970s, when Chirac contracted Juppe as his speechwriter. Juppe served as Chirac's first prime minister from 1995-1997.

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