An investigation targets NPA presidential candidate Philippe Poutou for his statements in October on “the police (who) kill“, but his summons to the investigators scheduled for Tuesday March 8 has been postponed indefinitely due to the election, AFP learned on Monday from concordant sources.
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In a statement posted on Twitter on Monday, the NPA announced that its candidate “has indeed recently received a summons to be heard by the police (Tuesday) as part of an investigation for “public insult to a public administration””. “Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin therefore seems to have carried out his threats, he who announced that he was filing a complaint against Philippe Poutou after he had denounced police violence and crimes.“, Continues the far left party.
In the same statement, the NPA announces the “report” of this summons, which would have intervened “once (the party has) announced that it has gathered more than 500 sponsorships“, essential to run for president, and officially validated Monday by the Constitutional Council. A source familiar with the matter confirmed this postponement due to the presidential election.
“Fifteen young people killed annually”
According to the summons to the Brigade for the repression of delinquency against the person (BRDP) broadcast by Philippe Poutou on Monday on Twitter and dated February 4, the candidate was summoned as a suspect, under the free hearing regime, for statements dated October 13. “The police kill, of course the police kill“, had declared that day Philippe Poutou. “Steve (Maia Caniço) in Nantes, in Marseille for a “demonstration” yellow vests a lady who closed her shutters, Rémi Fraisse a few years ago… We would have to see the figures precisely but in the working-class neighborhoods, it is about fifteen young people who are killed by the police annually“, he had declared.
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The Minister of the Interior had announced in reaction that he had filed a complaint for public insult for these remarks “insulting” and “unworthy“, while the latter went further by accusing the minister of”give the police the green light to strike“. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Monday that it had opened an investigation on November 8. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the investigation was opened following a complaint from the Ministry of the Interior.