(Bloomberg) — French authorities opened new probes into doable sexual and monetary crimes linked to Jeffrey Epstein and are revisiting the file on modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who died in a French jail in 2022.
Prompted by the US Justice Division’s launch of a big trove of Epstein recordsdata, the Paris prosecutor’s workplace stated it arrange a devoted investigation workforce to investigate the paperwork for doable hyperlinks to French nationals.
As well as, all proof associated to Brunel, who at one time was an affiliate of Epstein’s, can be reexamined, the workplace stated in a press release Saturday. Brunel died in an obvious suicide whereas going through rape fees.
DOJ’s largest launch but of Epstein recordsdata has reverberated by way of the worlds of finance, enterprise and politics within the US and past, resulting in resignations of distinguished figures talked about in exchanges with the disgraced financier.
In France, former Tradition Minister Jack Lang resigned this month as head of a Paris cultural middle over alleged ties to Epstein and prosecutors stated they’d opened a tax investigation. Lang has denied wrongdoing.
Paris prosecutors stated Saturday they’re investigating the roles of three individuals, together with French diplomat Fabrice Aidan, whose title seems within the Epstein recordsdata.
Prosecutors stated they had been notified by the Overseas Ministry in Paris that his title got here up and are trying into compiling additional proof. A lawyer for Aidan didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark exterior common enterprise hours, however has beforehand denied any wrongdoing on the a part of her consumer to Agence France-Presse.
Additionally cited is Daniel Siad, who a former Swedish mannequin alleges raped her in France in 1990, in response to the assertion. Siad couldn’t be reached for remark. He denied wrongdoing in a message cited by French broadcaster BFM TV.
The third particular person below scrutiny is conductor Frédéric Chaslin for alleged sexual harassment in 2016, prosecutors stated. In a Fb publish on Friday, Chaslin denied any impropriety and stated he’d met Epstein 4 instances to hunt assist for his musical tasks, with out figuring out in regards to the disgraced financier’s status or previous conviction.
Prosecutors didn’t specify which facet of Siad’s and Chaslin’s relationships with Epstein or the DOJ recordsdata they’re analyzing.
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