A French court will issue next Thursday, its verdict for President Emmanuel Macron’s former bodyguard who is accused of assaulting two young protestors during anti-capitalism manifestations in 2018.
The French president Emmanuel Macron was forced to fire Alexandre Benalla after a video emerged showing him striking a young man and grabbing a young woman by the neck at a May Day protest in Paris.
The former bouncer, now aged 30, was wearing a police helmet, despite attending the protest just as an observer.
The Élysée was accused of covering up, for failing to report Benalla to the police until the French daily newspaper Le Monde revealed the existence of the video two months after the violent incident.
Benallagate caused deep embarrassment for Macron, who had vowed during his presidential campaign to restore the French public’s faith in public authorities.
Benalla is accused of twelve offenses among them violence, interference with the function of a police officer, and carrying a weapon.
Wearing a dark suit and a face mask, the former presidential bodyguard made no statement to the dozens of journalists waiting as he arrived at the Paris courthouse, reported France24.
“Mistakes were made obviously, by me of course, but I can put up with a lot. And I’m far from being the only one responsible for this shipwreck. I’m the scapegoat for the people in power,” wrote Benalla in a 2019 book, “What They Don’t Want Me To Say”.
Two police officers, accused of illegally providing Benalla with surveillance footage in a bid to claim his actions were justified, will also be in the dock.
Benalla started working as a bodyguard for Macron in 2016.
He was promoted to a senior security role after Macron’s May 2017 victory, becoming a right-hand man seen at Macron’s side in countless photos.
After the scandal broke, the 30 years old bodyguard also admitted carrying a handgun during outings with Macron, even though he was only authorized to have it within Macron’s party headquarters.
Benalla will also face a charge of illegally carrying a gun, based on a picture of him at a restaurant that appears to show him with a Glock. He has said it was probably a water gun, according to AFP.
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