In 2018, these journalists broadcast an investigation into suspicions of “influence peddling” in the army, on the airwaves of France Inter.
SourceAFP
© Vincent Isore / MAXPPP / IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP
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Tkings journalists authors of an investigation in 2018 on suspicion of influence peddling in the French army are summoned Wednesday, December 14 to the DGSI for suspicions of breach of national defense secrecy, learned Agence France- Press Wednesday, December 7 from sources familiar with the matter.
Benoît Collombat and Geoffrey Livolsi, authors of the investigation “Air transport: suspicions of influence peddling in the army”, are summoned to a free hearing along with Jacques Monin, director of investigations and investigations of Radio France who broadcast the investigation on the show Info Secrets on France Inter, according to these sources familiar with the matter. The survey was also posted on the Internet.
According to one of these sources, the three journalists were summoned on December 14 at 10 a.m., because they are “suspected of having committed or attempted to commit the offense of revealing or disclosing information allowing the identification of a member of a special forces unit”. According to another of these sources, the summons comes within the framework of a judicial investigation opened after a complaint with a civil action filed by a former member of the special forces whose name was mentioned in their article.
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Suspicions of favoritism and influence peddling in the army
Their investigation revealed that “the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) is investigating suspicions of favoritism and influence peddling within the French army. At the heart of his investigations: the air transport subcontracting contracts ”, which would have given rise to a search at the general staff of the armies. She mentioned in particular the name of an official of the Special Operations Command (COS) presented as being “in the crosshairs of justice”, without it being known at this stage whether this lieutenant-colonel is indeed the complainant.
Asked to find out if the main investigation was still in progress, the PNF did not respond on Wednesday morning. Contacted on the summons targeting its journalists, Radio France also did not respond immediately. Reached by AFP, journalist Geoffrey Livolsi said that “these summonses are a new attempt to intimidate journalists investigating the army”.
“Is it still possible to investigate this subject without being worried by the intelligence services? As a reminder, our media Disclose”, which he co-founded in 2018, “has also been targeted for a year by an investigation for violation of national defense secrecy”, he recalled. Benoît Collombat and Jacques Monin did not wish to speak publicly.
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