Yoda Clan in Marseille: sentenced to 12 years, Félix Bingui to appeal
The lawyer of Félix Bingui, suspected leader of the Yoda clan, has denounced a "purely political" prosecution after his client was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Yoda Clan: Félix Bingui's defence contests 12-year prison sentence
According to lamarseillaise.fr, the lawyer of Félix Bingui, Philippe Ohayon, strongly criticised the prosecution's submissions during proceedings on Wednesday 3 June at Marseille criminal court. His client, presented as the suspected leader of the Yoda clan and suspected head of the drug dealing point in Paternelle according to investigators, was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison. The verdict was delivered on Friday 5 June.
"Sixteen years, that is an assizes sentence being sought," said maître Ohayon, contesting the severity of the sentence initially requested by the public prosecutor's office. For the defence, the procedure rests on fragile foundations: around fifteen scattered statements drawn from "hundreds of hours of telephone intercepts", without specific evidence of drug trafficking. "The less evidence there is, the more guilty Bingui is," the lawyer said ironically.
Police officers under investigation at the heart of the case
The defence also pointed to a major irregularity: the three police officers in charge of video surveillance and telephone intercepts in the Bingui case are themselves under investigation as part of the Trident affair, revealed in October 2025 by Libération and Mediapart. Maître Ohayon recalled the existence of "illegal recordings", asserting that these police officers "took incredible ethical risks to bring down someone called 'Mimo', which failed".
"The procedure is built on a pyramid to the glory of Mr Bingui, of whom one wonders whether it is not a hologram," the lawyer continued, emphasising that all the elements of the case appeared to be designed solely to incriminate his client.
A plastic bag as evidence of trafficking?
On the facts themselves, the defence downplayed the charges. Philippe Ohayon mentioned games of cards or barboute — a dice game — in a room adjoining a grocery store on Rue Thubaneau, as well as "a plastic bag given in front of this grocery store", presented according to him as proof of drug trafficking. "It is the conspiratorial plastic bag..." he said ironically.
The lawyer also reproached the public prosecutor's office for having "so little discussed" the debates from the three weeks of hearings in its submissions, as if there existed "a wall of guilt, certainties, convictions".
Political pressure and "war" against drug trafficking
Maître Ohayon expressed his concerns about the general context in which this trial is set. He mentioned "government pressure" related to the "war" declared against drug trafficking, believing that this climate weighs on the exercise of justice. "In Marseille there are real issues, we speak more in France of trafficking than of education, of progress," he said, without, however, explicitly accusing the court of "doing politics".
The defence nonetheless conceded certain points. "We are not here to present Mr Bingui as a victim, there are 35 elements of charge," the lawyer admitted. On his client's standard of living, judged by the prosecutor to be incompatible with a lawful activity, Philippe Ohayon acknowledged that the "failure to justify resources" was "possible", whilst contesting the link with the Paternelle drug dealing point.
An apartment in Dubai without a response from the Emirates
Regarding Félix Bingui's real estate holdings, and notably an apartment in Dubai of which he is allegedly the owner, the defence stated it had taken the necessary steps. "The United Arab Emirates have still not responded," maître Ohayon assured.
Quoting lines from Aragon — "nothing is ever assured to man. Neither his strength. Nor his weakness, nor his heart" — the lawyer concluded: "Félix Bingui has a future." The verdict delivered on 5 June confirmed a sentence of 12 years in prison.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)