Edouard Philippe Archives - Iran News Daily

France to Probe Ex-PM, Staff over Handling of Coronavirus

reporter 1222 — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 12:05:42 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – France prosecutors said that the former prime minister Edouard Philippe and its health officials will be probed into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors say.

Health minister Olivier Véran and his predecessor Agnès Buzyn will be investigated, along with Philippe, the attorney general said, RT reported.

The probe comes after nine complaints were found to be admissible by the Court of Justice of the Republic “on the sole count of abstention from fighting a disaster.”

Philippe resigned on Friday and was replaced by Jean Castex, as part of a government shuffle by President Emmanuel Macron.

The government has been accused of failing to prepare and take adequate action to tackle the deadly pandemic. France has seen more than 166,000 cases of the virus and 29,875 deaths.

An investigation into the country’s handling of the crisis was opened in June, after more than 60 complaints were made by individuals and labor unions. Paris’s chief prosecutor Remy Heitz said at the time that potential charges could include involuntary homicide and endangering the lives of others.

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France PM Raises Alarm over Coronavirus Crisis

reporter 1222 — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 06:38:51 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – France prime minister raised the alarm Friday over an “extremely high” surge in coronavirus cases in the country and warned things will be “difficult” in the coming days.

“We find ourselves in a crisis that will last, in a health situation that will not improve any time soon,” Edouard Philippe said after a cabinet meeting held by videoconference, as 365 deaths were reported in France in a single day.

The premier called on an alarm that France must “remain extremely mobilized” in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic that has now killed 1,696 people on French soil.

Having started in the country’s east, the epidemic is now spreading in the northernmost Hauts-de-France region, the Paris region and other areas with “an extremely high surge that puts the entire healthcare system, the entire hospital system, under enormous pressure,” Philippe said, AFP reported.

“The situation will be difficult in the days to come,” he added.

He said he would announce more details of the government’s response Saturday with Health Minister Olivier Veran, in particular regarding the availability of equipment, masks and virus testing.

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