Philippe François, former Colonel of the French Army, “Reuses the accusations against me. I never thought of attacking the life of the president”.
Le Monde
The former colonel of the French army Philippe François, one of the two French accused of having wanted to overthrow and murder the president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, denied any involvement Wednesday, December 8 on the third day of the trial. Antananarivo.
“I reuse the accusations against me. I have never thought of attacking the life of the president,” said Philippe François, 54 years old. “I am Catholic, father of six children and, like you, I love my country,” added this man to the dedirished forehead, blue look, visibly amaigri in his shirt too wide.
“It’s an insult to my morality and my intelligence to think that I have something to do with Apollo 21”, of the name of this project, which, according to the authorities, be activated on July 21, Has he still specified.
m. Francois and Franco-Malagasy Paul Rafanoharana, 58, are accused of being the brains of the presumed transaction to overthrow President Andry Rajoelina. Arrested on July 20 with their wives, they were incarcerated in early August after an endless custody.
“abuse”
The authorities mainly hold a piece of conviction against Philippe François: a USB key on which they claim to have recovered the budget of the presumed transaction. “I read this document once interrogated by the gendarmes,” he said his deep voice. “If I had the slightest consciousness of this document, which I do not know, I would have destroyed this key. I was stunned to see that this budget was on the key” which belonged to it, “he said to the court.
His hearing lasted several hours, followed by that of his wife Brigitte, a fine silhouette and cuteuette voice, who recalled that the couple left Madagascar to settle in France during their arrest at the airport. “I decided to make his freedom to Philip because we had couple problems, we already separated several times,” she told crying.
During his interrogations, this stylish brown woman, in pearl gray jersey dress and painted nails, said they were “abused, I was assisted by a lawyer for the first audition only, not for the other two” .
“I stayed fifteen days in custody in inhuman conditions, I was not aware of anything, I did not understand what was reproached to him [to her husband],” she added. “My comments have been modified and I was forced to sign them,” she accused, before asking, “I would like to know what I am criticized today.” The trial was to continue on Thursday .