Gaël Perdriau was indicted again on Friday evening, this time for “participation in a criminal association with a view to committing blackmail”.
New indictment for the mayor of Saint-Etienne. At the end of an interrogation lasting almost eight hours, the Lyon public prosecutor’s office announced on Friday January 19 that it had indicted Gaël Perdriau for “participation in a criminal association with a view to committing blackmail” and “embezzlement of public funds”. A decision taken “on the basis of serious and consistent evidence collected by the magistrates since the last interrogation of the mayor of Saint-Etienne”. In April 2023, the councilor had already been indicted for “blackmail”.
Gaël Perdriau is suspected of having been involved in the filming, use and financing in 2015 of a video of a sexual nature featuring the former centrist deputy at the town hall of Saint-Etienne, Gilles Artigues. Suspicions also relate to a possible misappropriation of public funds to finance this sex tape intended to destroy the deputy’s political career. Gaël Perdriau’s former chief of staff, Pierre Gauttieri, was himself indicted for “criminal association” in December. He directly blamed the mayor of Saint-Etienne.
He “still disputes all of the facts”
Excluded from the Les Républicains party, Gaël Perdriau refuses to resign from the town hall of Saint-Etienne and proclaims his innocence. He “still disputes all of the facts”, his lawyers said following the indictment on Friday evening. The latter announced “in the coming days requests for confrontation which will demonstrate the veracity of the statements” of their client.
Gaël Perdriau has been under judicial supervision since April 2023. His new indictment has not modified the conditions of this judicial supervision and he remains authorized to “exercise his mandates”, his lawyers confirmed.