Overview
- The Nanterre hearing, halted Thursday after Patrick Balkany lost his temper, resumed hours later following a brief suspension ordered by the judge.
- The former Levallois-Perret mayor is on trial for allegedly diverting municipal police from 2010 to 2015 to act as private drivers for trips to the National Assembly and airports.
- Prosecutors on Wednesday requested an 18‑month custodial sentence, arguing the assignments amounted to misuse of public funds.
- Several municipal agents described grueling chauffeur and errand duties at the couple’s Giverny residence and during stays at their Saint‑Martin villa.
- Defense lawyer Robin Binsard moved to annul the case after a 14‑year investigation, and this proceeding is the second strand of a wider probe that earlier examined a city‑funded association tied to a former aide.