Patrick and Isabelle Balkany Cleared of Charges in Controversial Pornographic Image Case

2023-06-06 18:48:06

The experts could not prove that it was a montage. Patrick and Isabelle Balkany were released on Tuesday, June 6, by the Nanterre criminal court, where they appeared two months ago for having transmitted to relatives pornographic images of David-Xavier Weiss, first deputy mayor of Levallois and a former relative of the couple, who has become a political adversary.

“The proof that there was a photomontage is not sufficiently demonstrated”, explained the president of the 14th chamber of the court. ” This decision restores the honor of our customers who have been unjustly smeared”welcomed Me Robin Binsard, who represents Mr. and Mrs. Balkany with Me Romain Dieudonné. “It is a disavowal for the public prosecutor who prosecuted the Balkany spouses in this case against all common sense, when everything showed that no offense could be attributed to them”he added.

During the hearing in April, the prosecution had requested a fine of 10,000 euros against the former mayor of Levallois (between 1983 and 1995 then from 2001 to 2020) and his wife, who was also his first assistant. Mr. Weiss had withdrawn his complaint, initially filed for disclosure of a document of a sexual nature and his constitution as a civil party, before the hearing.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The first time that “Le Monde” wrote “Patrick Balkany”

Confusion

The confusion even extended to the procedure because, if the prosecution had decided to refer the spouses to court for the publication of a photomontage, the summons sent to Mr. Balkany mentioned another qualification, that “invasion of another’s privacy”.

Since their departure from the town hall of Levallois, in 2020, the Balkany have multiplied the criticisms – sometimes harsh – on social networks against the new municipal team. Isabelle Balkany, 75, is to be tried in July 2024 for defamatory remarks made on Facebook against mayor Agnès Pottier-Dumas.

Already indicted for “embezzlement of public property or funds by a person holding public authority”Patrick Balkany, 74, is being prosecuted in another case for ” misuse of corporate assets “ et “illegal taking of interests”.

Sentenced for laundering tax evasion, the couple was found guilty of having concealed between 2007 and 2014 some 13 million euros in tax assets. Patrick Balkany spent several months in detention in connection with this case.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The Balkanys see their sentence reduced on appeal, but could lose the enjoyment of their Giverny residence

The World with AFP

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