Woerth faces new accusations

French Labour Minister Eric Woerth has denied allegations that he granted a tax reduction for a casino owner when he was Budget Minister. This is the latest in a string of allegations of impropriety by Woerth, who is being investigated for conflicts of interest in the case of Liliane Bettencourt, France's richest woman.

AFP

French newspaper Liberation published a letter on Friday that Woerth wrote in January 2009 to Jean-François Mancel, a former secretary general of the UMP party, in which he revealed his intention to grant a tax reduction to casino owner Pascal Pessiot.

Pessiot, the director of the Société Française des casinos, had been convicted for running an unauthorised online poker game via subsidiaries in Belize and the Bahamas. It was determined that the earnings were subject to French taxes.

In a press release issued yesterday, Woerth denied any allegations that Pessiot benefited from preferential treatment. According to the statement, his decision to reduce Pessiot's taxes was in keeping with tax administration policy.

UMP secretary general Xavier Bertrand, in a television interview, condemned what he calls a witch hunt by the media against Woerth, who has been been accused of conflicts of interest in the Bettencourt affair.

Bertrand pointed out that not a single accusation made by the media over the last three months has resulted in a conviction.