The two investigating judges in charge of the case of violence that broke out on 12 and 13 May in New Caledonia and has left eleven dead to date are due to begin their hearings during the third week of September. And on Thursday 12 September, the Noumea prosecutor’s office will decide whether or not to transfer the proceedings to a French court. The case, of exceptional scope, is also subject to strong pressure.
Opened to participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing crimes and offences (in particular, complicity in murder and destruction by an organised gang), the criminal procedure began with a preliminary investigation on 17 May, before being entrusted to instruction on 20 June. The accusation is mainly directed at Christian Tein, official spokesperson of the cell for coordination of field actions (CCAT), the operational body of the pro-independence party Union Caledonienne-FLNKS. Despite his imprisonment, Tein was appointed president of the Kanak and Socialist Front for National Liberation (FLNKS) on Saturday 31 August, during a congress contested by the moderates. Alongside him, six other CCAT executives accused are detained in France. The hearings will take place in Lyon.
For these activists, the defense lawyers requested, on September 2, the relocation of the case, denouncing in particular the “bias of the prosecutor in ignoring the presumption of innocence,” expressed through his public statements by the Noumea prosecutor, Yves Dupas. Requested by the worldMr Dupas did not respond.
Risk of getting stuck
The Noumea judges also want this change of scenery. After a general assembly decided in July, the CFDT judges even referred the matter to the Higher Council of the Judiciary on Thursday, September 5. For her, “A case that generated more than one billion euros in direct damages falls under the jurisdiction of a specialized court” If we want to respect equality before the law, because the court of Noumea seems “Completely ill-equipped” and does not have sufficient investigative resources. In other words, the risk of the matter becoming stagnant is high. The CFDT delegate, Emmanuel Poinas, also stresses that “Neither public security nor serenity of justice [sont] guarantees in the territory of New Caledonia.
The union’s letter finally mentions a “Complex political situation to say the least » locally, which generates “pressures”. As early as June 6, the two presidents of the Noumea Court of Appeal had contacted the High Council of the Judiciary to denounce a “unacceptable pressure” due to “Illegal gathering of about a hundred people in front of the Nouméa court.” In this case, they were loyal activists united around their leader, Sonia Backès, who called for the repression of the CCAT.
You have 64.05% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
