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Denis Robert has just been cleared by the Supreme Court against his conviction for two of his books (Revelation $ and The Black Box ) and a documentary (The Concealers ), broadcast on Canal +.
After ten years of litigation, won a victory against Clearstream but also against those who, like Philippe Val and Edwy Plenel, had increased suspicions about the quality and reliability of his work.
In his fight, Denis Robert took enormous risks and we can only rejoice today that these decisions do not erase the system of course, but are a slap masterful in a corrupt system that wanted to get the victim to the executioner.
is a breath of fresh air for all those who fight for truth and against the uncontrolled movement of capital around the world.
Bravo Denis!
(Courtesy of the author, the text that Denis Robert wrote to all his friends )
Ten years and all my teeth
Note to my friends and friends of my friends who have blurred the memory and ask me details about the judgments of the Court of Cassation coming fall. First you say they put an end a long legal battle and they delight me.
past ten years $ Revelation is released (February 28, 2001), numerous complaints were filed against my editor, the channels that have aired my films, many newspapers and against me. Some sixty in all, in several countries, including access to criminal proceedings and civil party.
Of those, ten came from the General Bank of Luxembourg and a score has been launched by the Menatep, a bank linked to the Russian mafia. I can say that overall I won all these trials.
The clearing house Clearstream Luxembourg has commissioned many of the other procedures. Their strategy was essentially based on slander, extreme bad faith, harassment, intimidation and relentless.
This strategy, far right, fails miserably today to make room for Justice and Journalism. A victory without fanfare. A victory in stone. A memory Victory soon. Whatever. This decision opens up interesting perspectives. Clearstream will no longer be like before ...
Twenty complaints were filed by the multinational in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, causing hundreds of visits from bailiffs to my home. Past the limits, I lost count.
I lost a few cases (especially for interviews to newspapers, I think Southwest or VOD). I won ( Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Point, "Everyone talks about" on France 2). I could and I due, if I had the financial means to go systematically all these procedures until the Court of Cassation. I did that for three of them. Most important to me, since these procedures involved the two original books Revelation $ The Black Box and concealment, my first documentary on the case.
Nevermind Clearstream investigation, which resulted in a conviction symbolic (but expensive in legal costs) in Luxembourg, to interest us for the rest ...
Revelation For $ and The Concealers (my first documentary, broadcast in February 2001), I was sentenced for defamation to the tune of one symbolic euro in damages in March 2004 and (on appeal) to € 1,500 in October 2008 without counting the costs. For
The Black Box (released in October 2002), Clearstream was dismissed and ordered to pay me € 3,500 in damages at trial. In the Court of Appeal (Paris, October 2008), I was sentenced to € 1,500, excluding the costs of procedures and publishing decisions.
I lodged an appeal. I took this decision against the advice of many people, including my editor, Arenas, and Canal +, who refused to continue the proceedings. I do not overwhelm. In their place, they were probably difficult to go after the battle with me. Some have released before.
In the days that followed the decisions of the appellate court, Clearstream has bought a page in The World to propose a compromise which was to accept these convictions against non-execution of judgments. Basically, non-payment of amounts which I was convicted.
It was unthinkable to accept such a compromise, to renounce my work, my investigation. It was essential to the founding principles that must be journalism, to fight to the end to get a decision recognizing the right. I was ready to go until the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
I knew what I had seen and done. I integrated the stakes of this battle. A healthy financial system was initially misled, opening up incredible opportunities for concealment. My investigation was is, will remain valid. My writings are based on documents, letters, listings, microfiche, filmed testimonies. Adequately substantiated that helped to update the accounts unpublished producing opacity, a system of erasing traces of transactions, the likelihood of a strong dual account of alleged links between Clearstream and the Church Scientology, hosting mafia banks, the use of Clearstream for the implementation of covert operations, the total lack of transparency and control, complicity of auditors, dismissal of staff who refused to carry out accounting manipulations and publish assessments done ... My make-up investigation and simply reading my documents showed, show that this firm housed more than 6,000 accounts in tax havens. Among these accounts, offshore companies, but also subsidiaries of banks respectable. I found that multinational oil companies, agribusiness and industrial had also opened accounts at Clearstream discrete. I pass and scores.
Beyond the spotlight on the firm, all of this work shed light on a disturbing drift system international financial and revealed the outlines of a truly parallel financing.
I knew a lot and I did not want me to shut up. I remained convinced that the judges of the appellate court does not consider me as he had given evidence in the file.
The support of my friends in the committee and the thousand eight hundred eighty-six people who supported what has become a long struggle were decisive.
Canal + and my publisher were sentenced by my side, but Clearstream has consistently returned to me. The aim was not so much money the willingness to financially choke me, stop me from continuing my research and defend myself.
The tipping point has been called the criminal case "Clearteam 2". One involving Dominique de Villepin.
Clearstream claimed damages in this proceeding on fake listings. I was indicted for theft and handling stolen goods at the end of 2006. Therefore, without my realizing it, the suspicion has switched sides. Communicators of the firm and their lawyers have skillfully used this second procedure to influence the courts in the trial had formed.
Clearstream introduced me as the centerpiece of this new case that had no connection with disputes concerning us. Attempt to ridicule my work was not enough, he should have practiced the amalgam and confusion.
How many times have I heard of the firm's lawyers or journalists malicious fun of "my mistakes", call me the "forger" or "conspiracy". All this has played. As had to play the venomous articles written by attorneys with mustache, editors at two balls, caretakers of the Net. I know I should not. But hey. I also think some political who supported me and suddenly dropped his eyes.
I stopped my blog. I stopped the front contact. I stayed Zen. I expected it to pass. I was relaxed in January 2010. This decision is final criminal.
For the rest, I expected that judges consider quietly. Far from the tumult. That's what just happened.
The Court of Cassation is the highest French court. The last action before the European Court of Human Rights. I had planned.
Each of the three cases which frees me Clearstream is now overwhelming and written in clear, precise and unambiguous. The Court of Cassation "authorizes" the remarks and accusations contained in my two books and my documentary.
First Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court, relying on Article 10 of the European Court of Human Rights, has made three stops sounding the death knell to my problems and open large gaps in those who m 'attack.
is fundamental. It will set a precedent.
The arguments raised by the Court of Cassation are entirely those developed by my defenders, Michel Zaoui, Bénédicte Litzler, during the ten years of litigation. These arguments were argued by Denis Carbonnier the Court of Cassation. It is a recognition of the quality of their work and mine.
The Court of Cassation overturned three convictions of my October 16, 2008 for defamation. It expressly recognized "the general interest of the subject" and the "seriousness of my investigation."
Everyone everywhere can now quote what I wrote.
Ten years to measure the blindness of the leader of Clearstream who originally complained against me. His successors have not shown more foresight they have consistently encouraged and relayed these complaints.
I do not know what will become of the information contained in my books and movies. I do not know what the Germans who bought Clearstream in 2002 (after my investigation) and have always found these abuses did. The Luxembourg court is poorly equipped to address these issues, and European justice still fails, I fear that the struggle to bring some rationality and control in this bank of banks is still long. Yet here as elsewhere, the issue of regulation of capitalism arises. I remember this number: Clearstream announced in 2010 more than ten trillion euros of values recorded in its accounts. Ten thousand billion euros.
To return to the judgments of the Court of Cassation, all applications of Clearstream against me are definitively rejected. They are condemned to pay me the sum of € 9,000 in respect of legal costs and pay me the amount of my previous convictions quashed today.
As regards the financial and moral damage suffered by me during these years, the three cases are referred to the Court of Appeal of Lyon. I will seek redress leaders of the firm.
By their harassment, their stubbornness, their lies, their judicial persecution, Clearstream and are responsible for communicating its ten years in many ways lost.
The financial crisis is crossed, it is clear the political and financial reasons that led them - by all means - to silence me. They did not succeed. In the end, my whole investigation is fully validated. The rulings are final and without recourse to Clearstream.
Thanks from my heart to all who supported me. And many of you. I've never felt alone or anxious during those years. And that I owe you.
Denis Robert Chatel, February 7, 2011
When Philippe Val spoke to Denis Robert and Philippe Val in his (low) work!
Read the blog ...
- All articles:
http://reformeraujourdhui.blogspot.com/2008/01/tous-les-billets-du-blog-reformer.html
http://www.google.com/reader/shared/Reformer.aujourdhui?hl=fr
