Gilles Artigues, former first deputy of Gaël Perdriau, will file a complaint for “ambush in an organized gang”

An ambush with strong political resonance. Gilles Artigues, first centrist deputy of the city of Saint-Etienne between 2014 and 2022, was the victim of political blackmail after being trapped and filmed without his knowledge in the company of an escort boy, at the instigation of at least least one elected by his own majority, according to a survey published by Mediapart Friday August 26.

The investigation site designates an elected member of the municipal majority, Samy Kéfi-Jérôme, now also a regional councilor in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and his companion at the time, Gilles Rossary-Lenglet, as the main actors in the ‘affair. At the end of 2014, both would have placed a camera in a Parisian hotel room and would have filmed Gilles Artigues in the company of an escort boy, whose services would have been reserved by them. This video would then have served to blackmail the elected centrist, in particular with a view to “contain one’s political influence” in Saint-Etienne, according to Mediapart.

“Threats and Blackmail”

Gilles Artigues’ lawyer, André Buffard, confirms to World that he will file a complaint against X and against Samy Kéfi-Jérôme at the beginning of the week for “ambush in an organized gang financed by public funds”, “non-denunciation of an offense or crime”, threats and blackmail. According to him, Mr. Artigues has evidence, including conversations during which he is threatened to disclose this video to his family. Still according to his lawyer, Mr. Artigues thinks he was drugged that evening: “He knows Mr. Kéfi-Jérôme who brought him to his room for a futile reason and made him drink. He doesn’t remember much after that. » The Saint-Etienne public prosecutor’s office confirms that it has not received any complaint ” at this hour “ and wait for it to be filed to analyze the facts.

Joined by the investigation site, Samy Kéfi-Jérôme acknowledges the existence of this video, but invokes the protection of his ” private life ” not to say more. “I managed everything from Saint-Etienne. Samy paid the escort on the spot »ensures, on the other hand, Mediapart his former companion, Gilles Rossary-Lenglet. The latter affirms that the mayor of Saint-Etienne as well as his chief of staff “have mandated Samy to show the short video”. Gilles Rossary-Lenglet also claims that the couple would have received sums of money which would have passed through municipal subsidies.

The mayor of Saint-Etienne, Gaël Perdriau (LR), did not respond to requests from the World immediately. Near Mediapart, the city councilor and his chief of staff, Pierre Gauttieri, both deny having been informed of this operation. Saturday August 27, Gaël Perdriau clarified in front of the local television camera TL7 to contest “any notion of blackmail which would be linked to the decisions taken recently by Gilles Artigues” when he was first deputy.

The world