Trapped by his own colleagues. Since 2014, the centrist Gilles Artigues, first deputy of the city of Saint-Étienne, has lived in fear of being “sex tapecompromise. Until Friday, August 26, 2022, when Mediapart discovered the existence of these images. These show the chosen one in a Paris hotel room, in the company of a gay escort, who is engaged in an erotic massage.
The meeting, which was kept secret because it embarrassed this elected official with conservative values, was actually a plot orchestrated by the mayor’s entourage. According to Mediapart, the goal is:contains political influenceBy Gilles Artigues in Saint Etienne.
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The case begins in the winter of 2014. Gilles Artigues, who has been elected as a centrist since 1995, is traveling to Paris with the deputy mayor of Saint-Etienne, Sami Kefi-Jerome, responsible for education. The escort boy, who was found and interviewed by Mediapart, said he had been contacted in advance by Sammy Caffey-Jérôme, also a councilor for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and a supporter of Laurent Vaukes. In the screenshots of the video prepared by Médiapart, the chosen one introduces two men, then leaves the room, leaving the escort to perform an erotic massage. Sexual relations do not take place, however, the information website notes.
A few months later, the existence of the images would be revealed to the person concerned. What a shame this elected official was appointed Diocesan Director of Catholic Education in Albi last June. How did Mediapart get wind of the case? By Gilles Rosarie-Lenglay, a former companion of Sammy Caffey-Jerome, who admitted to touching no less; “€50,000” for the execution of the plan with the ex-husband. The money would be channeled through municipal subsidies, which were supposedly intended for the two Saint-Etienne associations.
The mayor disputes “any concept of blackmail”.
Accused by the newspaper of covering the case, the mayor of Saint-Etienne, Gael Perdrieu, expressed his “stupidity“. “I am not aware of such a project“He denied it, having previously declined further comment.”understand all the nuances of this work“. He disputes it toodefinitely any notion of blackmail that would be related to the recent (Gils Artigues) decisions.“. In May of last year, the first deputy resigned from this position, which he held since 2014, promoting “for personal reasons“.
Gilles Rosarie-Lenglay, who told Médiapart about the connection, assures in turn that after the video was shot, the mayor of Saint-Etienne and his chief of staff, Pierre Gauthier, “Instructed Sami to play the short video. The message was clear. Gilles Artigues shouldn’t have made any difference if he didn’t want the video out.“, he explains. Sami Kefi-Jerome, in turn, did not respond to Mediapart’s requests.
On Saturday, the cabinet of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, without commenting on the case, simply announced in a press release the dismissal of Sami Céfi-Jérôme, councilor delegated for digital strategy. “With more information available, this withdrawal will allow him to fully defend himself“, explains the Region. On Friday afternoon, Laurent Vauquez’s cabinet did not want to comment, judging, however, according to a local newspaper. Progress that “what is revealed is incredibly brutal“.
Gilles Artigues’ lawyer has announced that he wants to file a complaint “aggravated blackmail“. His client would havehas repeatedly been the subject of blackmail, regarding the threat of video dissemination», said M.e Bouffard: According to the Saint Etienne prosecutor’s office, the complaint has not yet been filed.
Source: Le Figaro
