Tel-Chai Nation

It looks like both Dominique de Villepin and Jacques Chirac are about to get what they asked for now. The Clearstream scandal, which they were involved in, is coming to light, and it doesn't look good for either of them. Especially because either or both of these two corrupt politicians tried to frame Nicholas Sarkozy for it, and that's simply disgusting. From the UK Telegraph (via Pondblog):

President Jacques Chirac yesterday denied any link to a corruption inquiry that wrongly targeted his rival and would-be successor, France's interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Chirac has been dragged into the so-called Clearstream scandal, with his prime minister, Dominique de Villepin.

Both issued statements indignantly rejecting suggestions they did anything to smear any individual.

Mr de Villepin, who frequently clashes with Mr Sarkozy even though they hold the top two positions in government, denied asking for Mr Sarkozy to be investigated.

But his claim has been challenged by the intelligence chief he ordered to carry out an inquiry into the scandal.

Mr de Villepin was last month humiliated by protests that forced him to abandon his employment reforms.

Speculation has been mounting that his office may be raided as investigating judges try to unmask the author of poison pen communications identifying Mr Sarkozy and other prominent figures as holders of secret accounts at Clearstream, a Luxembourg-based bank.

Mr de Villepin is alleged by Le Monde newspaper to have cited Mr Chirac's authority when ordering, as foreign minister, the French intelligence service inquiry.

But yesterday, plunged into the affair for the first time, the president authorised a statement distancing himself from any such action.

"The president of the republic categorically denies having ordered the least investigation targeting political personalities whose names may have been mentioned," said the statement from the Elysée palace.

The anonymous accusation that Mr Sarkozy was involved in laundering money through an overseas account was quickly dismissed.

Mr Sarkozy is said to have told Mr Chirac that his accuser, once exposed, would "end up on a meat hook" and promised an ally this week: "When I shoot, I shoot to kill, not to wound. The end to this is close."

The office of the defence minister, Michèle Alliot Marie, has been searched, along with those of senior business and intelligence figures.

All deny wrongdoing.

Mr de Villepin said people were entitled to resent "the rumours and imputations directed at the state, its institutions and the intelligence services". He added that he hoped "light would be shed on this whole affair of libellous denunciations. It is a question of doing what is right for certain people who have been unjustly named and feel a legitimate grievance".

But Mr Sarkozy is widely reported to be convinced the prime minister sought to damage him and failed to tell him the intelligence report he commissioned confirmed the charges were false.

Mr Sarkozy was among several people named as Clearstream account holders in documents sent anonymously to a judge in 2004.

Allegations were also made that three businessmen, including the deputy chief of Airbus, Philippe Delmas, had been paid kickbacks from the sale of French frigates to Taiwan in 1991. Inquiries showed the documents to be fakes.

De Villepin and Chirac should both be ashamed of themselves for this. And somehow, it's not all that surprising that two politicians who insulted their nation by letting all those Muslim thugs get away with the damage they did, even during the student demonstrations a couple weeks ago, could be involved in a scandal like this, and even attempt to frame a better politician because they can't stand that he's trying to protect the public from the damage they let spread. For that, de Villepin and Chirac should both resign.

Others on the subject include For a Few Euros More, Paris Link Blog, Pigilito, Fausta's Blog, Dave's World.

Labels: Europe, France