Ex-French PM’s conviction in the fake jobs scandal is upheld by a French court
Paris: On Wednesday, the French Court of Cassation upheld former prime minister Francois Fillon’s conviction in the phony employment scandal that derailed his unsuccessful 2017 presidential campaign, but it also mandated a fresh trial for his punishment.
On May 9, 2022, Francois Fillon, 70, was found guilty on appeal of four years in prison, three of which were suspended, and a fine of 375,000 euros ($400,000). The Paris Court of Appeals will hold a fresh sentencing trial in the next few months.
The conservative lawmaker was found guilty of giving his wife, Penelope Fillon, a fictitious position as a parliamentary assistant that paid millions of euros in public money.
At the 2022 appeals trial, she received a suspended two-year jail term for embezzlement and was mandated to pay the same fine as her spouse.
In addition, the lower chamber of the of the National Assembly, which paid Penelope Fillon back for serving as her husband’s aide, demanded 800,000 euros from both of them.
It is doubtful that Fillon will spend any time in jail as per French sentencing norms; instead, he may be required to wear an ankle bracelet.
The pair has always maintained that Penelope Fillon completed legitimate work for her electorate.
