Benalla case in France: 5 suspects brought to court

Paris – The case Alexandre Benalla, collaborator of the French presidency dismissed after violence on May 1, continues to occupy center stage in France: suspects presented Sunday to an examining magistrate, hearing the Minister of Interior Monday, and opposition boiling.
  

The custody of the five suspects, including that of Alexandre Benalla, were lifted Saturday night in the investigation into the violence committed on May 1 in Paris. They will be presented Sunday to a judge of instruction, announced the floor.

Despite his dismissal announced Friday, the Elysee has failed to defuse the crisis born of the disclosure Wednesday videos showing this close to the head of state to strike protesters during Labor Day, wearing insignia of police, while he was present as a simple observer to the police.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb will have to explain to the deputies what he knows about this affair: he will be auditioned Monday at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) by the commission of the Laws of the National Assembly, endowed with powers of 'investigation, announced Saturday its president Yael Braun-Pivet (LREM, presidential majority).

In addition, the woman and the man beaten by Alexandre Benalla, during the demonstrations of May 1, asked to be heard later by the investigators.

Opposition on all sides suspects the executive of wanting to quell scandal, right and extreme right demanding that President Emmanuel Macron himself explain.

The Élysée, quickly informed of the actions of Benalla, had laid him off in May for 15 days, without seizing justice, Alexandre Benalla, 26, even obtaining in July a housing official in a dependency of the Élysée.

But the story was unveiled Wednesday by the daily Le Monde, provoking all the more indignation that the president was the champion of a " exemplary Republic " during his campaign election.

" We seek to camouflage a state affair behind a very late dismissal procedure ", denounced in an interview with Le Figaro the boss of the right-wing opposition Laurent Wauquiez (Republicans). " Emmanuel Macron will be accountable to the French ," he added.

" If Macron is not explained, the case will become Benalla Macron case ," said the president of the National Rally (far right) Marine Le Pen, in a tweet.

– Presidential Silence –

The leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, ruled that the case was " Watergate level ", also accusing the president of " is organized (r) a personal militia ".

Emmanuel Macron remained silent on this matter. A mutism that " could have been justified within the framework of a maintained practice of the rare word ", but this presidency became " talkative ", notes the editorialist of Figaro, according to which " the Macron presidency is in any case tainted " by these eddies.

The ties of the Head of State with the one who was Mr. Security of the Elysee, former assistant to the chief of staff of the presidency, were at the center of the Unes of the dailies Saturday: Alexandre Benalla, " le protected from the palace "announces Liberation, the" advisor too special "title Le Parisien.

Many questions arose over the last two days about the privileges granted to him. Saturday LR deputies have asked " which Elysee authority " had asked for Benalla the badge he had held for a year allowing him to access the National Assembly – disabled Friday.

Before being lifted, his custody was extended Saturday morning, as that of a reserve policeman, Vincent Crase, employee of the presidential party, who was with him on May 1, said the prosecutor's office from Paris.

Both were placed in custody on Friday especially for violence and usurpation of office.

The residence of Alexandre Benalla in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, was also raided on Saturday morning. Issy where his wedding was to be celebrated this Saturday, according to a source at the town hall.

And the three high-ranking police officers who were suspended for giving him Wednesday night footage of video surveillance, were in turn placed in custody Saturday morning, before its lifting in the evening.

In addition to the preliminary investigation of the justice, opened Thursday on the initiative of the parquet floor of Paris, another, administrative, was launched by the " font police " and a third by The national assembly.