EA French government senator who allegedly administered ecstasy to a member of parliament without her knowledge has been asked by the president of the parliamentary chamber to resign from positions related to his mandate. “In view of the extreme seriousness of the actions accused against the senator,” Senate President Gérard Larcher has asked Senator Joël Guerriot to resign from his posts as Senate secretary and vice-chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Presidium said in Paris on Monday.
Only the judiciary can decide whether to terminate Guerrio’s senatorial mandate, the statement said. Both the presumption of innocence and respect for the plaintiff’s words apply. Guerriot is suspected of secretly drugging MP Sandrine Josso in order to rape her.
On Friday, the judiciary opened an investigation into the 66-year-old center-right senator. The senator, through his lawyer, denied the allegations. In investigative circles, the lawyer said he believed he received the mood-enhancing drug from another member of the Senate.
Hosso testified that she became very ill after drinking a glass of champagne in the senator’s apartment. She also noticed him take a small plastic bag containing a white substance from the kitchen drawer.
Escaped at the last minute?
The National Assembly member then underwent a medical examination and traces of ecstasy were found in her body. According to her lawyer, she managed to avoid a “trap” at the last minute. Prosecutors are investigating suspicions of using a mind-altering substance for the purpose of sexual assault.
Ecstasy was also found during a search of the senator’s apartment. Guerrio was taken into police custody and later released under certain conditions. He is prohibited from visiting the deputies’ apartment. Prosecutors are also investigating him for drug use. The senator is not protected by immunity because the alleged act is alleged to have occurred recently.
On Saturday, Guerrio was temporarily expelled from the Horizons party. The party was founded by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who is considered a possible candidate in the 2027 presidential elections.
The lawmaker felt “betrayed” because Guerrio had been a friend she had trusted for decades, her lawyer said. Jausso belongs to the Modem party, which is also part of the government camp.
Guerrio held a number of senior positions in various banks, was for a long time the mayor of a small town on the Loire and has been a member of the Senate since 2011. In 2020, he contributed to a report on drug trafficking from French Guiana.
French President Emmanuel Macron took office promising a “model republic.” However, there are currently two senior ministers in the crosshairs of the judiciary. The case against Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti recently ended with a requirement of one year in prison with probation for abuse of office. The verdict is due on November 29.
Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt is due to appear in court from Monday. This is about allegedly illegally accepting a gift from a company in the form of works of art during his tenure as a member of parliament. There seems to be no talk of a government reshuffle in the near future.
Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine
