An investigation for “moral harassment” has been opened against former Secretary of State Nathalie Elimas.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for “moral harassment” targeting former Secretary of State Nathalie Elimas, who left the government in early March after being questioned by several of her collaborators.
Mrs. Elimas, in charge of Priority Education until her departure from the government, had been the subject of an administrative investigation by the General Inspectorate for Higher Education and Research (IGESR) which had resulted in a report to justice received on March 10 by the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Asked by AFP on Friday, the latter indicated that he had entrusted his investigation to the Brigade for the repression of delinquency against the person (BRDP).
Before opening a preliminary investigation, the magistrates of the Paris prosecutor’s office first had to position themselves on the question of whether the facts alleged against the former secretary of state were detached from his function or not.
In the second hypothesis, the file would then have been sent to the Court of Justice of the Republic, the only jurisdiction empowered to prosecute and judge the ministers for offenses committed in the exercise of their functions.
AFP revealed in mid-January that Ms. Elimas was the subject of an administrative investigation by the IGESR after internal reports of “dysfunctions” within her cabinet relating to “labor relations”.
Several sources had told AFP that the Secretary of State was accused of acts of “harassment”, even “abuse”, on collaborators. All preferred to remain anonymous.
At least three sources had also pointed out that the employment within the firm of a very close friend of Ms. Elimas, described by one of these sources as “untouchable”, was one of the aspects of the administrative investigation.
In mid-February, an internal pre-report was submitted to Jean Castex. According to two sources interviewed by AFP, the testimonies targeting Ms. Elimas were “concordant”, “serious” and “overwhelming”.
The Elysée had announced on March 5 that it was leaving the government.
“Very serious charges”
Aged 48, Nathalie Elimas entered the government in July 2020 after being elected in 2017 as a MoDem deputy (presidential majority) for Val-d’Oise.
Two days after the revelations about the charges against her, Ms. Elimas said she was “victim of a very violent attack”.
Asked by AFP on Friday, she said she was “serene”: “I have no worries, I am even rather satisfied today that there is this investigation, like that the people who testified for the prosecution, including some were still members of my cabinet, will be able to testify with an unmasked face.
“I myself had said that the public prosecutor had to be seized so that I could defend myself from these very serious accusations in court,” she also added.
Ms. Elimas announced on March 12 that she had filed a first complaint for “slanderous denunciation”, to which she intends to bring a “complementary complaint”.
The former Secretary of State on Friday denounced a report by the IGESR “totally in charge” and considered that it had not taken into account the exculpatory elements that she had produced during two hearings and in ” 75 pages of sightings, chronology of events, commentaries, material items and exhibits”.
“I have confidence in the fact that if our administration deems it necessary to go to the criminal plan, it is because there are elements for it”, for his part reacted on Friday a person who worked in Ms. Elimas’ cabinet. and having accused her of “harassment”.
Since 2017, many current or past members of Emmanuel Macron’s majority governments have had trouble with the law.
Some have procedures still in progress: the Keeper of the Seals Eric Dupond-Moretti, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of Overseas Sébastien Lecornu or even the Secretary of State for the civil service Olivier Dussopt.
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