A kitty in support of the family of the policeman who killed Nahel M., created by Eric Zemmour’s presidential campaign spokesman, Jean Messiha, and which has raised more than 1.6 million euros, is making the object of an investigation in Paris, announced, Wednesday July 19, the parquet floor joined by Agence France-Presse. The investigations were entrusted to the sub-directorate of economic and financial affairs of the Paris judicial police after a complaint filed by the family of Nahel M., who accused Mr. Messiha of “fraudulent maneuvers” and “lies” aimed at “cheating” donors.
Anyone benefiting from the kitty, “even if they were from the policeman’s family (…) would therefore be guilty of concealment of fraud in an organized gang”, according to this complaint. “We welcome the speed of this decision by the public prosecutor” to open an investigation, said Me Yassine Bouzrou, who defends the family of Nahel M.
“If donors feel cheated, it’s up to donors to complain. Strangely, I have not received any information that would tend to suggest that donors have filed a complaint for fraudulent maneuver ”, reacted Mr. Messiha on BFM-TV.
Figure of the far right, Mr. Messiha opened, on June 29, a first online kitty on the Leetchi platform to support the policeman, indicted for intentional homicide and imprisoned. While 5,000 euros had been collected, the kitty “was suspended after 20 minutes” for “48 hours”, he announced on Twitter, before closing it in the evening. On June 30, he opened another fundraiser, this time on Gofundme, “in support of the family of Nanterre policeman Florian M., who did his job and is now paying a high price.”
Indignation of part of the political class
Tuesday, July 4, before its closure announced for midnight, it totaled more than 82,000 donations, for a total value approaching 1.6 million euros.
Another kitty in support of the 38-year-old biker’s family, launched on Leetchi by a police officer on behalf of the Hauts-de-Seine Motorcycling Association, totaled nearly 75,000 euros.
Another pot was created on Leetchi to support the mother of Nahel M.. The account, Tuesday, July 18, showed more than 400,000 euros.
The success of the kitty launched by Mr. Messiha aroused the indignation of part of the political class. The deputy La France insoumise (LFI) Clémence Guette denounced the “indecency” and the “absolute horror” of the project. ” The message ? It pays to kill a young Arab,” commented “rebellious” MEP Manon Aubry. “You are hosting a @gofundme pool of shame. You maintain an already gaping fracture (…). Close,” tweeted Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party.
The fact that the support fund was created “by a person close to the far right” does not “contribute” to “appeasement”, judged the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne.