Friend of French prime minister to stand trial after 'assaulting' policeman
A friend of French prime minister Édouard Philippe was arrested and placed in custody on Sunday June 23rd for having reportedly hit an off-duty police officer. According to legal sources he was, unusually, freed just a few hours later after having claimed – falsely - that he was the premier's diplomatic advisor. He is now due to face trial in November on charges that include passing himself off as a ministerial advisor. Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget and Matthieu Suc report
AA friend and associate of French prime minister Édouard Philippe arrested for hitting a policeman was later released from police custody at Rouen in northern France after claiming he was the premier's diplomatic advisor and needed to attend an official visit by Russian prime minster Dmitry Medvedev to nearby Le Havre a few hours later, Mediapart can reveal. The French prime minister's office, however, quickly dismissed the claim that Khalid Bouksib was a “diplomatic and communications advisor” even though it did not deny his closeness to Philippe.
