Former French mayor slammed with jail sentence for embezzlement

The former French socialist mayor Gerard Dalongeville of Henin-Beaumont in northern France has been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of embezzlement and accepting bribes.

Gérard Dalongeville, former mayor of Henin-Beaumont from 2001-2009 Reuters

While Dalongeville could be released after three years, the Criminal Court of Bethune has also banned him from office for five years and slapped him with a 50,000 euro fine.

The sentence stems from accusations that Dalongeville along with his first deputy in charge of finance Claude Chopin and businessman Guy Mollet submitted false invoices between 2006 and April 2009 that benefitted companies up to four million euros.

Chopin was also sentenced to three years in prison along with a 30,000 euro fine and five years of political ineligibility.

Mollet was sentenced to four years in prison as well as a 5,000 euro fine.

Dalongeville, who has already spent nine months in custody, said he will appeal the ruling.