Former Macron Aide Benalla Detained for Violating Court Order in May Day Protest Case

Benalla was prohibited from contacting another defendant in this case, his friend Vincent Crasse, but on January 31, Mediapart had published the transcript of telephone conversations that would have taken place last July.

This conversation with Crasse, former head of security within Macron’s party, La République en Marche, took place on July 26, just four days after his indictment.

The two men appeared separately on Tuesday before the Paris Tribunal, report several French media, according to which Benalla and Crasse had to try to convince the judges that these recordings were obtained illegally and therefore cannot be used against them.

During this discussion, the man of Moroccan origin had expressed Macron’s support in this affair which broke out during the summer and caused one of the biggest crises of the French president’s term.