Geneva ex-State Councilor – Pierre Maudet acquitted in second instance – News

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  • The former Geneva State Councilor Pierre Maudet has been acquitted in the second instance of the charge of accepting benefits because of a luxury trip to Abu Dhabi.
  • The appellate court confirmed a corresponding report in the newspaper “Tribune de Genève” on Tuesday.
  • His lawyers also confirmed reports from the online portals “Tribune de Genève” and “Léman Bleu” on Tuesday.
  • The public prosecutor’s office still has the option to appeal this judgment to the federal court.

Maudet’s defense lawyers Grégoire Mangeat, Fanny Margairaz and Yaël Hayat told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request that they should first take note of the 90-page verdict before making any further comments. During the proceedings, they had repeatedly emphasized that their client could be accused of anything – but the red line of criminal law had never been crossed in this case.

The appeal hearing took place in the middle of last October. Both parties waived a public reading of the judgment.

The public prosecutor’s office still has the option to appeal the judgment to the federal court. This had demanded a conditional prison sentence of 14 months for the ex-State Council.

The conviction for taking advantage of Patrick-Baud Lavigne, Maudet’s right-hand man, is also overturned. Lavigne remains convicted of breach of official secrecy, as reported by the “Tribune de Genève”. Two Geneva entrepreneurs who organized the controversial trip were also acquitted in the second instance.

Luxury travel was fatal

In the first instance, Maudet was found guilty of accepting benefits. The background was an invitation from the Abu Dhabi royal family to Maudet and his family, his then chief of staff Patrick Baud-Lavigne and the two Geneva businessmen to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. The cost of the trip, which the royal family paid for, is estimated at 50,000 francs. On appeal, Maudet demanded an acquittal.

That is what the Maudet affair is about


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The former Geneva government councilor Pierre Maudet was sentenced to a conditional fine of 300 daily rates of 400 francs in connection with a trip to Abu Dhabi in 2015 for accepting benefits. The police court ruled last February that the politician had considered, accepted and accepted the risk of being influenced in the performance of his office by accepting the invitation.

The stay in a luxury palace had been arranged by two businessmen who were friends with Maudet in order, according to the first instance judgment, to secure the goodwill of the government council. The Emirati royal family paid the bill of tens of thousands of francs.

The FDP excluded Maudet from the party in the summer of 2020. Shortly afterwards, the department was withdrawn from the former Federal Council candidate. He was only allowed to attend government meetings. In November he finally announced his resignation, but ran for a replacement election in March 2021 – and was defeated.

At the end of the professional negotiations, however, Maudet had not ruled out a return to politics. He stated that he wanted to “put an end to this trip from a legal point of view”. “As for the political journey, it will not end in the courtroom,” said the ex-State Council tellingly.

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