French Chirac to stand trial for corruption charges
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Former French president Jacques Chirac was sued Friday for peculating city funds when he worked as Paris mayor, thus he became the first ex-president to stand in the court in France.
French judicial authority decided to charge 76-year-old Chirac of embezzlement and breach of trust concerning a corruption case during his term as Paris mayor from 1977 to 1995.
There were between 400 and 500 official advisers registered under Paris municipally government from 1983 to 1995, however, the prosecutors discovered that over 40 positions consuming budgets were just void.
Consequently, more than 20 names among the fishy advisers were investigated and sued. Chirac was, in effect, covered in doubts of misusing public fund.
As response to the order, Chirac's office said in a statement on the day that he was "serene and determined to prove in court that none of the jobs been debated were fake."
He had been investigated by judicial officials in 2007 when his 12-year presidency reached the end. At that time, he already claimed innocent from peculation and insisted that the 20 names were necessary for the city's municipal operation and the establishment of these positions had gotten nod of the Paris parliament beforehand.
Though retired from political centers since his presidency finished in 2007, Chirac still holds high popularity in France and remains excellent reputation abroad. A poll of this April showed that the supporting rate for the veteran politician reached 74 percent, ranking the first of the 50 politicians who were in the questionnaire.
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