Macron's Chief of staff charged with conflict of interest, again

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Élysée's secretary general, Alexis Kohler, was charged with a conflict of interest relating to his ties with Mediterranean shipping company MSC, which is run by his mother's cousins as stated by French prosecutor Jean-François Bohnert.

Kohler is one of the top officials of French President Macron's administration and is responsible for catering to critical emergencies as well as major economic and social issues. He has, “categorically denied any wrongdoing”, as stated by his lawyer.

This is not the first time Macron's top advisor is in the spotlight for his relations with MSC. In 2018, Kohler was accused of influencing contract results, that were awarded to MSC back in 2010 and 2011, by Anticor, an anti-corruption Nonprofit organization, claiming that Kohler did not disclose his ties with MSC to his place of work back then, the French agency for public investment. However, the 2018 case was dismissed a year later, and Anticor filed a new civil case against him in 2020.

Anticor lawyer Eric Dezeuze commented on the recent charges, stating that, "the question of his resignation is now on the table," while Kohler's lawyer argued that the new evidence would allow his client to, "prove his innocence."

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The case against Macron's top official comes as his administration is receiving more pressure. The sitting Minister of Justice Dupond-Moretti, one of the French President's close allies, was charged on Monday for abusing his position to get back at "opponents" from his earlier career in the judiciary and was ordered to stand trial by the Investigation Commission of the law court in Paris, making it the first time an MoJ is charged while serving his term.

The Minister's lawyers filed an appeal on the case that was initiated in 2021 by Anticore and a union of magistrates, putting the trial on hold temporarily, where it is unclear when would the highest appeal court rule on the case. One of the Minister's lawyers argued however that this case had witnessed, "many irregularities," blaming Chief Prosecutor François Molins for previously being "unfair and biased."

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Charges against the Justice Minister are related to administrative orders relayed to 3 judges to request the police crackdown on dozens of lawyers and magistrates in 2014 during an investigation targeting Former Frech President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Transparency International nonprofit organization has called on the Minister to resign, as 2 of France's main magistrates' unions expressed that the case would place Dupond-Moretti further into a conflict of interest, where "He would get to appoint his own accuser,” following Molins' retirement next July as the Minister would be assigning his successor.

The French Presidential office declined to comment on Dupond-Moretti's job status as Minister of Justice, while the PM spokesperson just stated that the "procedure is ongoing" and that it was organized so as not to affect Dupond-Moretti’s business as justice minister.