Chirac Refuses to Answer SummonsFrench President Jacques Chirac refused Wednesday to answer a summons from a judge about a kickback scandal centering on Paris City Hall that allegedly unfolded during Chirac's time as mayor.The presidential Elysee Palace said in a statement that Chirac could not be questioned in the case because it violated the constitutional separation of powers. The judge in charge of the investigation, Eric Halphen, sent Chirac a summons last week, asking him to appear as a "witness" in his investigation, Le Parisien newspaper reported Wednesday. The Elysee confirmed receiving the summons, which set off a cascade of reaction and dominated a later parliamentary meeting of Chirac's right-wing allies. "In view of the constitutional rules, he cannot answer this summons, which is contrary to the principle of the separation of powers and to the demands of the continuity of the state," the statement from the presidential palace said. It added that Chirac, who was mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995, would already have spoken with judges about the case if he had any information on it. "He has already spoken publicly on several occasions and has no other information that he has not already given the French people," the statement said. Dozens of officials from Chirac's party, the Rally for the Republic, have been placed under investigation in the scandal, in which Paris City Hall during the late 1980s and early 1990s allegedly took hefty bribes in exchange for building contracts in the Paris area. The funds were allegedly used to finance the Chirac's party and other political parties. The scandal took a bizarre twist last September when a videotape emerged in which a deceased party official, Jean-Claude Mery, directly implicated Chirac in the scandal. Chirac, 68, has denied any role in the alleged wrongdoing. |
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