Magistrate Hélène Gerhards had served as an investigating judge in Corsica from 2010 to 2016. She was indicted on 11 charges, including embezzlement of public funds and forgery of public documents by a holder of public authority.
Starting point of this case: the interception by the police of a telephone discussion between Corsican personalities known for their link with organized crime. One of them spoke of his proximity to the judge of instruction. Johann Carta, convicted fourteen times, is an alleged member of Corsican banditry close to the “Petit Bar” mafia clan. "The incarceration of a magistrate, an extremely rare occurrence, justifies that justice does not make mistakes," warned one of his lawyers, Yann Le Bras, who described a "magistrate of integrity, passion, and who conducted her affairs with pugnacity." The magistrate was released this Wednesday by the investigating chamber in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône).