Seoul Gazette - French minister under fire over anti-extremism fund

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French minister under fire over anti-extremism fund

BOULEVARD 05.04.2023

French junior minister Marlene Schiappa, who made headlines this week for a clothed Playboy photoshoot, is at the centre of accusations of alleged misuse of cash from an anti-radicalism fund set up after the beheading of a teacher.

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Schiappa, whose ministerial brief covers the social economy and associations, spearheaded the creation of a 2.5-million-euro ($2.7 million) fund in her previous job at the interior ministry.

It is meant to finance the fight "separatism" after the 2020 killing of history teacher Samuel Paty by an Islamic extremist.

But journalists from broadcaster France 2 and weekly Marianne cast doubt last week on the work carried out by a Paris-based charity that was one of the biggest recipients of the public cash.

The interior ministry has begun an audit, and Paris prosectors confirmed to AFP that they were examining a complaint filed by an interministerial anti-radicalism committee.

Members of Paty's family said Tuesday that they were "especially wounded by recent revelations... about the questionable use of the subsidies... and the lack of controls".

"Samuel Paty's name should never and in no way be an instrument for such schemes," they added.

Schiappa announced the creation of the "Marianne Fund" -- named for the symbol of the French republic -- in April 2021.

It would "finance people and associations who will speak out to promote the values of the republic and to fight against separatist narratives, especially on social media and online platforms", she said at the time.

There is no suggestion of any legal wrongdoing on Schiappa's party in the way the funds were used.

The suspect beneficiary, an association known as USEPPM, reportedly used some of the money for videos and social media posts that were each seen by fewer than 50 people -- but most of it went to pay two former directors.

Cyril Fergon, a lawyer for USEPPM's new management, told AFP that such payouts were against the association's statutes.

One of the men who was paid by the group, Mohamed Sifaoui, has warned on Twitter that he will launch legal action against anyone who "defamed" him.

The minister's fully-clothed interview with Playboy earned her a slap on the wrist from Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who said the interview was not to her "taste".

But Schiappa has defended the photoshoot, saying that in France "women are free" to do what they want with their bodies.

M. Taylor--BTZ

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