According to journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot who has written a book together, Nicolas Bays allegedly asked for money and gifts in kind from Qatar. The well-known French Socialist apparently sent SMSs to the ambassador of Qatar in which he requested flight tickets for himself, his wife and children, as well as luxury shoes and money to refurbish his appartment.
The Front National’s vice president and European MP, Steeve Briois, has called for an investigation and for Nicolas Bays “to suspend his candidacy for re-election to the 12th district of Pas-de-Calais”.
Although Briois respects the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”, the two journalists seem to have elements of proof for their statements. Therefore he feels that “if these accusations turn out to be true in the months to come, they will show the politico-financial conflicts of interest between France and Qatar that we have always condemned. Apart from corruption, there is the issue of politicians’ loyalty to France which has been seriously called into question.”
