Jacques Chirac can be jailed for up to 10 years

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Paris court opened a long-awaited corruption trial Monday with former French President Jacques Chirac as the star defendant, but quickly suspended the opening session over a technical legal issue that may go to France’s highest court for a decision.

Presiding Judge Dominique Pauthe was responding to calls by the Paris state prosecutor and defense attorneys who have argued that the fusion of two separate investigations involving Chirac may not meet a crucial constitutional test.

Pauthe suspended the hearing after some 2-1/2 hours and said he would rule by March 8 afternoon whether the lawyers' call for the Court of Cassation, France's highest court, to intervene was warranted, The Associated Press reported.

Chirac, 78, is the first French head of state to go on trial since the country's Nazi-era leader was exiled. He was not present on March 7.

Chirac is accused of embezzlement, breach of trust and conflict of interest, based on allegations linked to his tenure as Paris mayor — before he became president from 1995 to 2007.

A prison term for the man who famously rallied against George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq is seen as highly unlikely. But, in principle if convicted, Chirac could be jailed for up to 10 years and be fined euro150,000 ($210,000).