Overview
- Presiding judge Céline Ballerini halted the Nanterre hearing for hours on Thursday after Patrick Balkany raised his voice and she warned he was close to contempt.
- He is accused of diverting public funds by assigning three Levallois-Perret municipal officers and a national police official on leave to drive him and handle personal tasks from 2010 to 2015.
- Former drivers described harsh conditions, including waiting in cars for hours, sleeping at the Balkanys’ manor in Giverny, and feeling like a “lackey,” with trips recounted as far as the couple’s stays in Saint-Martin.
- Following Wednesday’s arguments in a related first part of the case, prosecutors asked for 18 months of prison, while the defense pushed to throw out the proceedings over what it called major dysfunctions in a long probe.
- The Rouen appeals court confirmed his conditional release for the 15 months remaining from a 2023 financial conviction, allowing him to serve the time at home in Giverny under eased controls while this trial continues.