French Town Reels From Fortune Teller Scandal

[Yithian]

French town reels from fortune teller scandal​

33 minutes ago
Chris Bockman
BBC News

The town of Agde on the Mediterranean coast may be known for its beautiful sandy beaches and year-round sun, but it’s also got a reputation for wild sex parties.

The town is home to Europe’s biggest swinger community. Tens of thousands of couples head to the town from across Europe every year to swap partners.

But right now, the town is reeling from an entirely new scandal which has the rest of France shaking its head in collective bemusement and amusement.

It concerns a local fortune teller and the town’s mayor, Gilles d’Ettore, a former secret service officer and police officer.

Both are now in jail while under judicial investigation. The fortune teller, Sophia Martinez, faces charges of embezzling the mayor, while he himself is accused of corruption for spending lavish amounts of taxpayers’ money on her.

Ms Martinez had a reputation for being able to speak to the dead. When the mayor asked her to put him in touch with his deceased father, she succeeded. While performing séances, her voice would suddenly change and take on the tone of the mayor’s father.

Both the mayor and the fortune teller are in prison while under judicial investigation
Over the past four years it is alleged that she manipulated the mayor in person and by phone with remarkable ventriloquist skills.

He received thousands of mysterious calls from “voices” of the dead including angels, some of them urging the mayor to help the fortune teller.

And that’s where the corruption comes in...

Continued Here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgg9reyvx7o

 

[Ermintruder]

This is a fascinating tale, but I don't understand exactly what both parties are being seen as guilty of:

The fortune teller, Sophia Martinez, faces charges of embezzling the mayor,

It's very unclear as to whether this was actually the case (from a subjective shallow scan of the case: but a jury might agree with me). The Mayor appears to have been consenting (at least in the main) to payment for services that were, at least partly, what he was looking for...and were required for the collective good, as outcomes.

while he himself is accused of corruption for spending lavish amounts of taxpayers’ money on her.

What, in the sense of not following French municipal contract tendering laws? That's entirely-possible, but across the span of pre-&-contemporary public sector procurements such sins can hardly be viewed as unique (and in certain jurisdictions might've been thought of as being de rigeur).

The whole reported instance feels like a conflation of serendipitous exotica: and the pious populous love it, one & all.

 

[maximus otter]

French town reels from fortune teller scandal​

33 minutes ago
Chris Bockman
BBC News

The town of Agde on the Mediterranean coast may be known for its beautiful sandy beaches and year-round sun, but it’s also got a reputation for wild sex parties.

The town is home to Europe’s biggest swinger community. Tens of thousands of couples head to the town from across Europe every year to swap partners.

But right now, the town is reeling from an entirely new scandal which has the rest of France shaking its head in collective bemusement and amusement.

It concerns a local fortune teller and the town’s mayor, Gilles d’Ettore, a former secret service officer and police officer.

Both are now in jail while under judicial investigation. The fortune teller, Sophia Martinez, faces charges of embezzling the mayor, while he himself is accused of corruption for spending lavish amounts of taxpayers’ money on her.

Ms Martinez had a reputation for being able to speak to the dead. When the mayor asked her to put him in touch with his deceased father, she succeeded. While performing séances, her voice would suddenly change and take on the tone of the mayor’s father.

Both the mayor and the fortune teller are in prison while under judicial investigation
Over the past four years it is alleged that she manipulated the mayor in person and by phone with remarkable ventriloquist skills.

He received thousands of mysterious calls from “voices” of the dead including angels, some of them urging the mayor to help the fortune teller.

And that’s where the corruption comes in...

Continued Here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgg9reyvx7o

I believe that this is the - medium - involved:

the mayor…is accused of…spending lavish amounts of taxpayers’ money on her.

C’est la France, heehaw-heehaw-heehaw…

maximus otter

 

[Feech23]

Think she could tell me anything she wants, I'm listening.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Think she could tell me anything she wants, I'm listening.

Yeah...'medium'...haha.

 

[JimELUCIER]

French town reels from fortune teller scandal​

33 minutes ago
Chris Bockman
BBC News

The town of Agde on the Mediterranean coast may be known for its beautiful sandy beaches and year-round sun, but it’s also got a reputation for wild sex parties.

The town is home to Europe’s biggest swinger community. Tens of thousands of couples head to the town from across Europe every year to swap partners.

But right now, the town is reeling from an entirely new scandal which has the rest of France shaking its head in collective bemusement and amusement.

It concerns a local fortune teller and the town’s mayor, Gilles d’Ettore, a former secret service officer and police officer.

Both are now in jail while under judicial investigation. The fortune teller, Sophia Martinez, faces charges of embezzling the mayor, while he himself is accused of corruption for spending lavish amounts of taxpayers’ money on her.

Ms Martinez had a reputation for being able to speak to the dead. When the mayor asked her to put him in touch with his deceased father, she succeeded. While performing séances, her voice would suddenly change and take on the tone of the mayor’s father.

Both the mayor and the fortune teller are in prison while under judicial investigation
Over the past four years it is alleged that she manipulated the mayor in person and by phone with remarkable ventriloquist skills.

He received thousands of mysterious calls from “voices” of the dead including angels, some of them urging the mayor to help the fortune teller.

And that’s where the corruption comes in...

Continued Here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgg9reyvx7o

So unfortunate.

 

[PeteS]

C’est la France, heehaw-heehaw-heehaw…

maximus otter

Indeed. Martinez has had to be moved because of threats by other inmates accusing her of witchcraft. You have to wonder.