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| Former mayor of Tours found dead before French ‘Chinese wedding’ trial | Former mayor of Tours found dead before French ‘Chinese wedding’ trial |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former French mayor of Tours, who faced charges in a corruption case involving fake Chinese wedding trips in the picturesque Loire valley city, has killed himself before the trial opened, the authorities have said. | |
| Jean Germain, 67, seen as a close ally of the French president, François Hollande, was found dead near his house, a police source said on Tuesday. | Jean Germain, 67, seen as a close ally of the French president, François Hollande, was found dead near his house, a police source said on Tuesday. |
| He left a suicide note, saying he was being prosecuted “for political reasons”, something he found “unbearable”. | He left a suicide note, saying he was being prosecuted “for political reasons”, something he found “unbearable”. |
| “You can be sure that I never embezzled a centime, that I did not take any money, that I always worked for what I believed to be in the best interests of the people of Tours,” the note read. | “You can be sure that I never embezzled a centime, that I did not take any money, that I always worked for what I believed to be in the best interests of the people of Tours,” the note read. |
| A visibly moved Hollande described the suicide as a “terrible tragedy” and hailed Germain as a “great elected official”. | A visibly moved Hollande described the suicide as a “terrible tragedy” and hailed Germain as a “great elected official”. |
| The prime minister, Manuel Valls, said he was “overwhelmed” by the news, adding: “I have lost a friend.” | The prime minister, Manuel Valls, said he was “overwhelmed” by the news, adding: “I have lost a friend.” |
| Germain was due to stand trial on Tuesday for alleged complicity in a corruption case over phoney Chinese weddings that took place in Tours between 2007 and 2011. | Germain was due to stand trial on Tuesday for alleged complicity in a corruption case over phoney Chinese weddings that took place in Tours between 2007 and 2011. |
| A member of his staff, Lise Han, stands accused of fraud, collusion and mishandling public funds. | A member of his staff, Lise Han, stands accused of fraud, collusion and mishandling public funds. |
| While she was working at the city hall on tourism issues, she was also allegedly running a private company organising the so-called wedding trips. | While she was working at the city hall on tourism issues, she was also allegedly running a private company organising the so-called wedding trips. |
| The trips did not include real wedding ceremonies but couples travelled long distances for what were billed as “romantic wedding” packages, and were photographed in wedding attire in stunning locations, including the Tours city hall. | The trips did not include real wedding ceremonies but couples travelled long distances for what were billed as “romantic wedding” packages, and were photographed in wedding attire in stunning locations, including the Tours city hall. |
| The mayor even posed with the couples in his full official dress. | The mayor even posed with the couples in his full official dress. |
| Although Han had officially resigned from her job as head of the organising company, Time Lotus bleu, she is accused of continuing to run the firm while at city hall, which was in turn subcontracting the work to her firm. | Although Han had officially resigned from her job as head of the organising company, Time Lotus bleu, she is accused of continuing to run the firm while at city hall, which was in turn subcontracting the work to her firm. |
| Germain, who said he was in the dark about the “lies and manipulations” of Han, stood accused of complicity in collusion and misappropriation of public funds. | Germain, who said he was in the dark about the “lies and manipulations” of Han, stood accused of complicity in collusion and misappropriation of public funds. |
| His lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, told reporters at the opening of the trial: “The last time I saw him was last week. He said that no one in his family had ever stood accused in court … He saw it as a sort of dishonour. | His lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, told reporters at the opening of the trial: “The last time I saw him was last week. He said that no one in his family had ever stood accused in court … He saw it as a sort of dishonour. |
| “He is a martyr of the republic. He has been thrown to the dogs in this case,” the lawyer added. | “He is a martyr of the republic. He has been thrown to the dogs in this case,” the lawyer added. |