The mayor of Nice issued a warning on October 26th, amidst the electoral period: “Those who spread false information about the finances and the debt of the City of Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis are guilty of defamation. […]”
And, these are not empty threats. Jean-Christophe Picard is the subject of two lawsuits for slanderous denunciation: One filed by Daniel Benchimol, deputy mayor of Nice, and the other by Christian Estrosi himself. According to him, his only fault is having alerted the Public Prosecutor to facts potentially qualifying as illegal conflict of interest or extortion.
“In increasing abusive procedures against anyone who criticizes his actions, Christian Estrosi, a declared candidate for his own succession, seeks not only to silence whistleblowers but also to intimidate other candidates,” denounces the local leader of Anticor and President of PRG 06.
And he concludes: “The most shocking aspect is that the climate of fear desired by the mayor of Nice will be funded by the taxpayers of Nice.”
