the five key elements of the Collomb hearing at the Assembly

Within the framework of the "Benalla affair", this close collaborator of the President of the Republic, author of violence filmed for two demonstrators, on the sidelines of the parade of 1 ^and -Mai, place de la Contrescarpe, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the Minister of the Interior, Gerard Collomb, was auditioned, Monday, July 23 in the morning, by the commission of the laws of the National Assembly, constituted for the occasion in commission of investigation.

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Alexandre Benalla was indicted this weekend, along with four other people, including three officials of the Paris police headquarters suspended Thursday suspected of transmitting to Mr. Benalla a video captured by cameras of CCTV on the Day of the Facts

Review of the Highlights of Mr. Collomb's 2.5-Hour Hearing

When and How Is the Minister of the Interior Caught Up? facts?

million. Collomb claims to have been made aware of the facts through his chief of staff and his chief of staff, May 2, early afternoon, the day after the demonstration of 1 ^and -May

"They inform me of the existence of a video showing violence in the Place de la Contrescarpe, the involvement of Mr. Benalla in these facts and the quality of it . They tell me that they spoke to the prefect of police and brought this information to the attention of the office of the President of the Republic, which is a very appropriate approach, since it is up to the hierarchical authority to take all the necessary administrative and judicial measures.

The day before, Gerard Collomb and Alexandre Benalla were both in the command room. Asked about the hug that he would have given to Mr. Benalla, Gerard Collomb says he has "no doubt welcomed" . "I'm used to being urban" he says.

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Why did he not take any action after becoming aware of the facts?

M. Collomb explains that he was no longer dealing with the abuses committed by Mr Benalla after having been informed, since he was not one of the "forces placed under his authority" .

M. Collomb also wanted to justify the very late launch of the investigation of the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) by implicating the police headquarters and the Elysee. "I remind you that, as I told you, I made sure on the 2nd of May that both the office of the President of the Republic and the Prefecture of Police had been the recipients of the information contained in the video. in question Mr. Benalla. It was up to them to act. This is the rule for all breaches " Mr. Collomb recalled

He stated that he asked his chief of staff to seize the IGPN on July 19, the day after the article of ] World revealing the case. However, Mr. Collomb acknowledged that the IGPN became aware of the video as early as May 3 through its reporting platform, but did not proceed.

"The Deputy Chief of IGPN informed my office that an internet user had reported the video anonymously to the IGPN platform. The operator of the IGPN had not estimated the conditions for the initiation of an investigation " said Mr. Collomb.

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Why did he not alert the judicial authority?

Mr. Collomb has been accused, inter alia by PCF MP Stéphane Peu, of having failed in his responsibilities by failing immediately to notify the judicial authority, after having become aware of the facts of violence.

According to Article 40 of Code of Criminal Procedure, cited by the Member, "any constituted authority, any public officer or civil servant who, in the exercise of his functions, acquires knowledge of a crime or offense is bound to give notice without delay to the public prosecutor and transmit to that magistrate all the information, minutes and acts relating thereto ".

M. Collomb replied by stating that it is not for the Ministry of the Interior to transmit a file to the prosecutor on the basis of Article 40 whenever he becomes aware of a criminal offense. "It is not my role to seize each attorney individually" Mr. Collomb declared

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What did he know about Mr. Benalla's role?

"What were, to your knowledge, the duties of Mr. Benalla in this 1 ^er -May? interviewed Republican MP (LR) Guillaume Larrivé, co-rapporteur of the commission of inquiry. "I knew absolutely nothing, sir" replied the Minister of the Interior.

M. Collomb also stated that he did not know "who had invited" Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase – a Reservist Constable, also an employee of the Republic in motion, who was also indicted in this case – to come theoretically observers on the manifestation of 1 ^and -May

"I do not know. The police prefect had to be aware, at least I think, he will have to ask the question. The Chief of Staff was aware that they had to participate. " Mr. Collomb explained. Who added that if Mr. Benalla had been "welcomed the morning of 1 ^er May" and that he had him "been handed a helmet, according to the IGPN "neither the armband nor the radio was given to him on that occasion". million. Collomb baderted that he was not directly in the presence of Mr. Benalla on 1 ^and in the evening, in the command room of the Paris police headquarters.

Asked that Mr. Benalla had a gun port, Mr. Collomb stated that "Mr. Benalla has repeatedly requested the services of the Ministry of the Interior to obtain a license to carry a weapon, the first time in 2013, in January 2017 – so with my predecessors – and finally in June 2017 from my office. The Minister badured that all these requests were refused because "Mr. Benalla did not meet the conditions required, exposure to exceptional risks of harm to his life, to be granted a such ministerial authorization ".

M. Collomb explained that Alexander Benalla was issued a license to carry a weapon without his cabinet being notified, by a decree of the police chief of October 13, 2017. "I discovered it last Wednesday [18 juillet]" badured Gérard Collomb.

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Did he discuss the "Benalla affair" with Mr. Macron?

M. Collomb said he had never discussed this case with the President of the Republic in recent weeks. "We have very precise agendas" he underlined

A little later during the hearing, he stated that he had never mentioned "the problem of Mr. Benalla "with the President of the Republic before July 14. The Interior Minister also said he spoke of the case of Benalla "as little as possible" with the President of the Republic Sunday, July 22, at a meeting on convocation at the Elysee. 19659006] He badured that Mr. Macron had shown himself "preoccupied by the constitutional reform" triggering the hilarity of the hall.