Hollande's adviser resigns over conflict of interest allegation

Source:Xinhua Published: 2014-4-19 10:00:46

Aquilino Morelle, a senior adviser of French President Francois Hollande, announced on Friday his resignation over conflict of interest charges.

This marked a fresh blow to Hollande, who has already been struggling to regain momentum and confidence after local election's disastrous results.

"I want to reiterate that I have not committed any error. I've never been in a situation of conflict of interest. I put an end to my duties as advisor to the President at the Elysee Palace to be entirely free to respond attacks," Morelle said in a statement.

Online journal Mediapart in a report issued on Thursday revealed that Hollande's senior communication adviser had worked in 2007 for a Danish pharmaceutical company while he was an employee at the General Inspection of Social Affairs (IGAS).

Dismissing the accusations, Morelle said he obtained an authorization from the public health body for outside work with firms in the drugs industry.

"The confidence is the key word of this period," Hollande said during a visit to the central town of Clermont-Ferrand, adding his former-adviser had taken "the only right decision."

Olivier Faure, the spokesman of the Socialist Party (PS) welcomed Morelle's "wise decision."

"It is up to him to answer the charges and to show that this situation has never placed him in trouble with the law," he told the news channel BFMTV.

The scandal-hit political strategist was the second main figure of Hollande's team that was forced to quit office due to conflict of interest or corruption.

In 2013, the budget minister Jerome Cahuzac was placed under further inquiry on alleged tax fraud.

Posted in: Europe

blog comments powered by Disqus