Since the attack that resulted in 84 deaths on the Promenade des Anglais on July 14th, Christian Estrosi has been embroiled in a heated controversy with the government regarding the security measures deployed for the event.
In fact, the controversy has taken on the appearance of a duel between the former mayor (but still chief) of Nice and the Minister of the Interior: a war of press statements… and more.
Like the interview in the JDD (spontaneous?, suggested?) with municipal police officer Sandra Bertin, head of the Supervision Center, in which she accuses an emissary from the Ministry’s office of trying to have her modify her report regarding the events of the tragic evening of July 14th.
A version of events refuted by the Minister, who announced that he had filed a defamation lawsuit: “It would be very helpful for Ms. Bertin to be questioned by investigators and to provide them with the identities and roles of the individuals she implicates, the emails she mentions, and their content.”
In a statement to AFP, the public prosecutor François Molins indicated shortly before that it was under his “sole authority and for the needs of the ongoing investigation that on July 15th, two brigadier chiefs were sent to the CSU of Nice.”
This information was immediately corroborated by the Justice Minister, Jean-Jacques Urvoas, who, in a press release, reminded that “the investigation relating to the terrorist murders in Nice (…) falls exclusively under judicial authority.”
While awaiting the outcome, a first question arises: why did the officer not reserve her version for the investigators of the General Inspectorate of the Police (the police of the police) who have been tasked with reconstructing the facts and potential shortcomings in the security chain established jointly by the Prefecture and the Municipality for an evening that turned from festive to tragic?
Simple imprudence or a desire to disseminate information that, quite evidently, should have remained confined within the framework of such a delicate investigation?
On Sunday evening, the Nice City Hall issued a statement supporting Sandra Bertin, stating, among other things, “All the evidence she possesses will have to be presented to the judiciary, but we reject the minister’s outrageous accusations of manipulating an officer’s statements in such a terrible context.”
Conclusion: tensions persist between Christian Estrosi and Bernard Cazeneuve.
The episode of excluding the former from the security sequence during the nighttime meeting immediately after the tragic events of July 14th is obviously too deep a scar to be forgotten without retaliation.
This is what the so-called insiders say under the cover of anonymity…
To be continued!
