Former French Prime Minister François Fillon, found guilty of fictitious employment of his wife, has been sentenced to four years’ suspended imprisonment, a five-year ban on standing for election and a fine of €375,000. The Paris Court of Appeal handed down the ruling on Tuesday, softening the previous sentence.
Back in 2022, François Fillon was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to four years (including one year in prison), a 10-year ban on holding public office and the same fine. Fillon’s defence team appealed the sentence.
In April 2024, the highest national court, the Court of Cassation, upheld François Fillon’s conviction. However, it ruled that the sentence should be reviewed. The Court of Cassation considered that the decision on Fillon’s prison term was not sufficiently justified.
The question of punishment was referred back to the court of appeal. In the end, Fillon got off with a suspended sentence. His defence team expressed satisfaction that Fillon would remain free. However, he will have to wear an electronic tag.
In 2017, a scandal dubbed “Penelopegate” by the press robbed François Fillon of his chances of winning the presidential election, in which he was running for the Les Républicains party.
Fillon was found guilty of embezzling public funds and fictitiously employing his wife, Penelope Fillon, as an assistant to a member of the National Assembly. Fillon and his wife were not present in court when the new sentence was handed down. The former prime minister’s lawyer, Antonin Lévy, said: “François Fillon is a free man.”
Penelope Fillon, a British citizen, was also given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to pay a similar fine. The couple insisted on their innocence, claiming that Penelope was doing parliamentary work “in the field” by talking to voters.
Penelope Fillon and former MP Marc Joulaud were also found guilty in the case. The latter replaced Fillon in parliament when he was working in ministerial posts. They were sentenced to two and three years’ suspended imprisonment, respectively. The three defendants were also ordered to pay €800,000 in compensation to the National Assembly.
