While the president's right arm is indicted for illegal taking of interests, Emmanuel Macron maintains Alexis Kohler in his post as secretary general of the Elysée. What make the opposition parties cough.

New twist in the case targeting the secretary general of the Élysée Alexis Kohler with his indicted for illegal taking of interests in the investigation into his links with the shipowner MSC, announced the national financial prosecutor Jean-François Bohnert in a press release Monday, October 3 . The right arm of Emmanuel Macron has been placed under assisted witness status for influence peddling due to its family ties with the Italian-Swiss container ship and cruise ship operator MSC. Alexis Kohler, who claims his innocence and received the support of the Elysée, is not subject to any judicial review and remains in office with the Head of State.

Who is number two at the Elysée?

Born November 16, 1972 in Strasbourg, Alexis Kohler is the closest collaborator of Emmanuel Macron, often referred to as number 2 at the Élysée. A graduate of Sciences Po, Essec and ENA, this 49-year-old senior civil servant holds the position of director of Emmanuel Macron while the latter is Minister of Economy and Finance. When Emmanuel Macron left the government to prepare his campaign, Alexis Kohler was hired as financial director of MSC, after a favorable opinion from the public service ethics commission, Emmanuel Macron vouching that Alexis Kohler had never dealt with the MSC file when he was at Bercy. Became one of the members of Emmanuel Macron's close guard , the former 'dircab' in particular supervised part of the economic program of the presidential candidate, before being appointed secretary general of the Élysée once the latter was elected head of state.

Why is Macron's right arm indicted?

In 2018, Mediapart reveals in a series of articles a possible conflict of interest between the functions occupied by Alexis Kohler at Bercy and his links with the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC, a company founded and managed by his mother's cousins, the Aponte family . The National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) then opened a preliminary investigation. An investigation then closed without further action since the elements collected ' did not (allow) to characterize the offenses initially suspected '.

Why is the Alexis Kholer case experiencing a new twist?

If the case is experiencing a new twist today, it is because following a complaint from the Anticor association, a judicial investigation had been opened on June 22, 2020. The national financial prosecutor's office thus announced on October 3 the indictment of the secretary general of the Élysée, suspected of a conflict of interest because of his links with the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC. Alexis Kohler ' strongly denies having committed any offense “, could we read in a press release written by the lawyer of Alexis Kholer. Without taking into consideration at this stage the many objective exculpatory elements, Alexis Kohler was placed under the status of indicted for illegal taking of interest for facts that may date back more than ten years. '.

Unwavering support from the Élysée?

Widely decried by the opposition, which is demanding the resignation of the secretary general of the Elysée, the indictment of Alexis Kholer does not seem to have made the Elysée react. The president's man always seems to receive the unwavering support of Emmanuel Macron .

Source journaldesfemmes.fr