The number 1 of the Communist Party Fabien Roussel, suspected of having been paid as an assistant to a deputy between 2009 and 2014 without having actually worked for the National Assembly, was heard at the end of August in free hearing, indicated Monday a source close folder.
The former presidential candidate, who disputes these accusations, was heard by investigators from the OCLCIFF (Central Office for the Fight against Financial Crimes) as part of an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) for embezzlement of public funds, said this source, confirming information from RTL.
“He was heard at the end of August, it went well, he gave his arguments and was able to clarify things, but he did not plan to communicate more”, indicated his entourage to AFP, specifying that he had strongly denied the charges. After accusations from the online media Mediapart published on February 20, in the middle of the presidential campaign, Fabien Roussel had affirmed that he had “documents” proving his past activity as a parliamentary assistant to Jean-Jacques Candelier (ex-deputy for the North ).
“Surprised and indignant”
“I was with him, and without him, to follow conflicts in Douaisis, (…) I have the documents of the work that I did with him on these subjects, with trade unionists”, had declared Fabien Roussel at the end of February. He then said he was “surprised and indignant” by the Mediapart article. The candidate had specified that he had never won 3,000 euros per month as Mediapart writes: “I started at 2,460 net, I finished at 2,700”.
“They investigated by questioning people who are at war with me. I don’t just have friends, that’s normal (…) But I have dozens of people who can say what we did together , the fights that we even won together with Jean-Jacques Candelier”, he added.