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Tarbes Mayor Gérard Trémège on Trial in Pau Over Favoritism and Illicit Interest

On the opening day, the 81-year-old acknowledged errors without conceding intentional misconduct.

Overview

  • The criminal trial opened Monday at the Pau correctional court and is scheduled to continue through the week.
  • Prosecutors say that from 2009 to 2015 the mayor favored associates through public contracts and discounted transfers of municipal assets, with a formal investigation underway since 2015.
  • Investigators highlight tree-trimming and renovation awards to firms with incomplete bids and prices above market rates, citing two judicial expert reports that found major procurement lapses.
  • Eight additional defendants—five former municipal service heads and three local contractors—are being tried alongside Trémège.
  • The inquiry began in late 2012 after reports from citizens backed by former minister Jean Glavany, whom Trémège accuses of orchestrating the case, and he says he will not seek a fifth term in 2026.