Former DGSE Chief Bernard Bajolet on Trial for Complicity in Extortion Attempt

Bernard Bajolet, the former director of France's external intelligence agency DGSE from 2013 to 2017, is currently on trial for complicity in an attempted extortion case. The two-day trial, held at the Bobigny court, addresses events dating back to March 12, 2016, when businessman Alain Dumenil was detained at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Unidentified DGSE agents allegedly threatened Dumenil to force repayment of 15 million euros to France, using photos of him and his family as leverage. Dumenil, who has longstanding disputes with the DGSE related to failed investments, filed a complaint, with his lawyer criticizing what they describe as the abusive privatization of state resources by a former high-ranking official. Bajolet admitted facilitating an interview between Dumenil and the DGSE to encourage communication between their lawyers but denied issuing any specific instructions related to extortion. His defense attorney dismissed the charges as legally baseless, emphasizing no crime had been committed. This trial sheds light on tensions between a private businessman and the French intelligence service, raising questions about the misuse of state powers under Bajolet's leadership.