freedom of conscience

On Wednesday 11 February, the Procurator of the Republic demanded a suspended six-month prison term for Georges Fenech, a former magistrate and now president of Miviludes, for his alleged role in the Angolagate.

The procurator stated that Mr Fenech “had a duty of vigilance” on the origin of the funds transferred to the magistrates’ association he was heading.In 2001, Georges Fenech was indicted for accepting a check of 100,000 Francs (15,000 EUR) from the company Brenco whose director, Pierre Falcone, was involved in illegal sales of weapons to Angola. He was then the president of APM (Association Professionelle des Magistrats).

In 2004, the Socialists elected at the Court of Justice of the French Republic had asked for his withdrawal from the jurisdiction of which he was the deputy chairman.

In 2008, Georges Fenech, now a member of the National Assembly (Sarkozy’s party), was declared ineligible for one year for violating the articles of the election code dealing with the direct expenses of the election campaign of the candidates. He then asked for his re-appointment in the magistracy and he was affected to the central administration of the Ministry of Justice. In June, PM François Fillon commissioned him “to assess the judicial provisions meant to fight with more efficiency against sectarian deviations.” This was the prelude to his appointment at the head of MIVILUDES.

Translation by Human Rights Without Frontiers

Sources: Le Parisien, 13 February 2009 - Le Monde, 24 September (Mis en cause dans l’affaire Falcone)