The trial opened on Wednesday of Jean-Marie Le Pen, 93, founder of France's far-right Front National party (now renamed Rassemblement National), for an anti-Semitic jibe he made in an online video targeting French Jewish singer Patrick Bruel.
He has been on good terms with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, played poker regularly with well-known French singer and actor Patrick Bruel and is close friends with a champion French boxer. But French businessman Arnaud Mimran is now accused of being one of the organisers of the 'hold-up of the century' - a carbon trading scam that in total cost French taxpayers 1.6 billion euros. He is also suspected of having organised the kidnapping of a wealthy Swiss financier, while his name has been cited in connection with several unsolved murders. Fabrice Arfi reports.
From left to right : Arnaud Mimran with Benjamin Netanyahou, Patrick Bruel, Puff Daddy and Meyer Habib. © Mediapart