Pascal Garbarini, in particular the lawyer for the alleged leader of the Corsican criminal gang “Petit Bar”, has been indicted for “criminal association” in the financial investigation of this criminal group, we learned this Wednesday from the Marseilles public prosecutor’s office.
Me Garbarini was also placed under the status of assisted witness for “laundering”, indicated the public prosecutor of Marseille, Dominique Laurens, confirming information from the daily Le Monde.
This reputable criminal lawyer in Corsican cases, who defended several alleged members of the “Petit Bar” but also Yvan Colonna at the trial for the assassination of the prefect Claude Erignac, was placed under judicial control with the obligation to pay bail and a ban to get in touch with the other members of the file, specified the specialized interregional jurisdiction (JIRS) of Marseille in charge of the investigations concerning the criminal gang.
Placed in police custody as part of a financial investigation
He had been summoned in mid-May to the Ajaccio gendarmerie where he had been placed in police custody as part of the financial investigation into this criminal group, then indicated sources familiar with the matter.
Me Garbarini is notably the lawyer for Jacques Santoni, the alleged leader of the “Petit Bar” who was indicted in January 2021, in particular for extortion in an organized gang, aggravated money laundering and association of criminals, in this vast financial investigation.
Investigators were trying to find out if the role played by Pascal Garbarini with his clients was limited to that of their defense lawyer or if he could have been their accomplice, these sources said.
“Manipulation of cash, numerous international financial movements and suspicious real estate investments” were highlighted in this investigation, the prosecutor of Marseille had indicated in mid-January 2021, during a first series of indictments.
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In April 2021, people involved in money laundering operations “via bank transfers in China” were indicted, the Marseille prosecutor’s office announced, for acts committed in France, but also in Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland. , Luxembourg and Panama.
These embezzlements relate to “48 million euros of offshore and real estate investments”, according to Le Monde.
Pascal Garbarini had already been placed in police custody as part of an investigation targeting this band in October 2013 in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) without any prosecution having been retained.
