Ary Chalus, President of Guadeloupe Region, Convicted of Misappropriation of Public Funds
The Paris criminal court condemned Ary Chalus to two years' imprisonment with a suspended sentence and five years' ineligibility. He announced an appeal.
Two years with suspended sentence and five years' ineligibility for regional president
The President of the Guadeloupe region, Ary Chalus, was condemned on Wednesday 30 September 2026 by the Paris criminal court to two years' imprisonment with a suspended sentence, five years' ineligibility and a fine of €100,000, according to ouest-france.fr citing the Agence France-Presse. He immediately announced an appeal of this decision.
The court found him guilty of misappropriation of public funds valued at €181,089. The judges nevertheless ruled out provisional execution of his ineligibility sentence, citing "reimbursements already made", which allows the former deputy-mayor of Baie-Mahault to retain his positions for the time being.
The offences concerned personal expenses paid from his parliamentary representation allowance (IRFM), totalling €96,135, as well as undue reimbursements paid by the municipality of Baie-Mahault for an amount of €47,431.
Chalus was also convicted of fictitious employment of two parliamentary assistants: his partner Francette Gourdine Bachou, whose case was severed, and his daughter Nathalia Chalus. The court emphasised the "persistence" of the offence concerning the latter, linked to the receipt of a salary over one year, causing estimated damage of €67,861. Nathalia Chalus, prosecuted for receiving stolen goods, received six months' imprisonment with a suspended sentence, a €20,000 fine and three years' ineligibility. The father and daughter were nevertheless acquitted regarding a credit of €6,580 used for travel purposes.
From Basse-Terre, Ary Chalus stated in a statement that the convictions "in no way diminish [his] determination" and that his lawyer would lodge an appeal "in the coming days".
The National Assembly and the municipality of Baie-Mahault, constituted as civil parties alongside the Anticore association, will receive compensation. The investigation had been initiated by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) following a report from the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP).
Source: Google News GP — Crime