Mr. de Villepin denies any plot against Sarkozy

Former french Minister of Defence, mr. Dominique de Villepin offered new insights in the Clearstream affair in the court of justice

Dominique de Villepin asserted, on Wednesday, September 30th, in the court that Nicolas Sarkozy's possible implication in the affair Clearstream had been evoked "at no time" on the occasion of a meeting on January 9th, 2004 with the general Rondot and Jean-Louis Gergorin, even if his name had been able to be quoted. - Not ever has the name of Nicolas Sarkozy or its patronymics been evoked during this meeting in liaison with this affair of covert networks, - asserted former Prime Minister, judged for complicity of slanderous denunciation.

The general Rondot, in charge of a mission by Minister of Defence on Clearstream istings, - emphasized the utmost importance of this system and to which point this system was disturbing. I encouraged the general Rondot to pursue, I did not add no special requests, - explained Mr. de Villepin. In his notes taken after this meeting, notes the president, the general nevertheless noted: - binding: Nicolas Sarkozy -. - These notes do not seem to me corresponding to what has been said that very day. These notes are not a report of the meeting which we held that day. Those are merely evolutionary, working notes. -

If Nicolas Sarkozy's name has been pronounced during this investigation, it surely has been done in a manner of the - home secretary's quality -, on the fact of knowing if it was necessary or not to inform him on the potential threat that made weigh this occult system, according to Dominique de Villepin.

The affair Cleartream - should have come to conclusion by March 25th, 2004 -, when Imad Lahoud, main source of the listings had been placed under police custody for another affair, while bearing in mind his worsened credibility, estimated Dominique de Villepin. He also specified that he had "never" received nor had given Jacques Chirac's no - presidential instruction - in the file Clearstream, contrary to the fact that asserts the ex-vice-president of EADS, Jean-Louis Gergorin.