PARIS (AFP) – A French court on Wednesday acquitted France’s Justice Minister in a conflict of interest trial that has been an embarrassment for President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Eric Dupond-Moretti, a pugnacious former star defence lawyer, had in 2021 been charged with misusing his position to settle scores with judges who investigated him during his legal career.
He expressed his “relief” over the acquittal late Wednesday, telling broadcaster France 2 that “I want to turn the page”.
“I want to resume the regular course of my work,” Dupond-Moretti added.
His acquittal “is clearly very satisfying”, one of his lawyers Jacqueline Laffont told reporters, adding that “this is what we hoped for, and what the law demanded”.
Dupond-Moretti stood trial before the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), which judges incumbent or former ministers for alleged offences committed while in office.
He is the first sitting French justice minister to have stood trial.
Dupond-Moretti’s case related to administrative inquiries on the minister’s watch into three judges.
The three judges had ordered police in 2014 to examine the phone records of dozens of lawyers and magistrates, including Dupond-Moretti, as part of an investigation into former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The judiciary had accused the minister, who also ordered a fourth judge to be investigated in an unrelated case, of a witch hunt, while he retorted that his accusers were “biased”.
“For me and my loved ones this trial is an infamy,” Dupond-Moretti said at the start of proceedings earlier this month. Technically, Dupond-Moretti faced up to five years in prison, a fine of up to EUR500,000 (around USD547,000) and a ban from holding public office, if found guilty.
But the prosecutor – while saying that Dupond-Moretti had “crossed lines that he never should have crossed” – recommended a one-year suspended prison sentence for the 62-year-old.
Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne publicly supported Dupond-Moretti throughout the case. But when asked whether Dupond-Moretti would have to resign if convicted, Borne said there was a “clear rule”, which was interpreted as meaning that he would have to go.
Dupond-Moretti went straight to the Elysee palace following Wednesday’s decision, he told France 2, and spoke with President Macron about the “current projects” of the justice system as well as “those to come”.
Dupond-Moretti has stirred controversy as a minister, including for allegedly sexist remarks towards women reporters and for an offensive hand gesture during a parliamentary debate.
Around 20 witnesses were summoned to testify in the case, including ex-prime minister Jean Castex and former high court chief prosecutor Francois Molins.
