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Alexandre Benalla was placed in custody on Thursday, January 17, according to Agence France-Presse quoting a judicial source. The diplomatic passport investigation that hit the headlines was also extended to two other offenses.
The first case related to these diplomatic passports dates back to December 29. It was learned that Alexander Benalla, yet removed from office at the Elysee Palace, continued to use these administrative documents in his possession.
The former collaborator Emmanuel Macron had visited Chad in particular a few days before the visit of the head of state in late December. An investigation was then opened by the Brigade of the repression of the delinquency against the person for "breach of trust" and "use without right of a document justifying a professional quality": these famous diplomatic passports.
This Wednesday, January 16, the investigations were extended to the heads of "false, use of forgery and undue receipt of an administrative document," said the Paris prosecutor. Alexandre Benalla is indeed suspected of having forged an official document of the Elysée giving the right to obtain a diplomatic passport.
Suspicion of forgery
Before the commission of inquiry of the Senate, Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff, Patrick Strzoda, said on Wednesday that the former chargé de mission had been in possession of two service passports, the first issued in 2016 "well before His arrival at the Elysée, the second on June 28, 2018. Both were invalidated on July 31, 2018.
He added that the request for the second service passport had been made by Alexandre Benalla to the Ministry of the Interior by a letter headed by the chief of staff of the Élysée, but " typed " and unsigned. Clearly, " we suspect a falsification made by Alexander Benalla, " said Patrick Strzoda.
Moreover, last September, during his first hearing before the parliamentary commission of inquiry , this time linked to the aggression of two demonstrators, he had sworn to have returned all his official documents, including passports. He is therefore suspected of lying before a commission of inquiry. A "perjury" that can be worth up to five years imprisonment.