Election corruption claims: how the 'Dassault System' worked

By Pascale Pascariello

The billionaire French industrialist Serge Dassault, who was caught on tape saying he paid money to 'buy' an election, is to appear before examining magistrates next month as a witness in an investigation into the attempted murder of the two men who made that recording. Meanwhile a participant in the alleged electoral corruption that Dassault is said to have created speaks exclusively to Mediapart about how the 'system' worked. In doing so he makes a plea for the judicial authorities to help him – claiming his life is now in danger. Pascale Pascariello reports.

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A man who became involved in the election 'corruption' that French billionaire industrialist and senator Serge Dassault admitted to in a secretly-taped conversation has given Mediapart details of how the system worked. 'Athman' – not his real name – is a 32-year-old inhabitant from Dassault's political stronghold of Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, who claims he “sampled” the money paid out by the senator during local elections to “incite” electors to vote for him.

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