Incarcerated in the Fleury-Mérogis prison since February 7, Patrick Balkany filed a request for sentence adjustment which must be examined this Thursday afternoon by the sentence enforcement court (TAP) of ‘Evry.
Sentenced to five years in prison for “laundering tax evasion”, the former mayor (LR) of Levallois-Perret, in the Hauts-de-Seine, will ask the court to be able to benefit from conditional release.
If this is refused, he will again claim to be able to benefit from a sentence adjustment, but this time in the form of placement under electronic surveillance. And this even if his previous experience in the matter was not very conclusive, his electronic bracelet like that of his wife having rung many times outside their home.
His sentence is due to end in April 2023
If he is granted conditional release, he will be free to move around, with however certain obligations, such as not to leave French territory and to compensate the victims. In the event that he is, again, placed under an electronic bracelet, he will have to stay at home with authorized outing hours.
This request for sentence adjustment is justified on several points: he is now 73 years old and is therefore eligible for such a request, accessible from the age of 71. In addition, he can request this measure, having already served half of his sentence. Finally, health problems support his claim.
Without counting the cases which still worry him and in which he could be condemned, his end of imprisonment is, for the moment, scheduled for April 2023.
The decision will be under advisement
This Thursday’s hearing will take place behind closed doors, in the afternoon, within the Fleury-Mérogis prison itself. The decision will be deliberated, and we should know at the end of the hearing on what date the sentence enforcement court will make it. The delay could be very short, from a few hours to a few days.
Once pronounced, the sentence would be immediately enforceable: thus, if the court gives the green light for a sentence adjustment, Patrick Balkany could be released quickly from detention.
Isabelle Balkany still hospitalized
According to our information, Patrick Balkany, still in solitary confinement in a district of Fleury-Mérogis, does not live “too badly” with his detention. He spends his time reading, watching television, and does not go out for a walk even if he has the right to do so.
His lawyers add to BFMTV that he is very worried about his wife, Isabelle Balkany. Sentenced to serve her prison sentence, she was not imprisoned. According to concordant sources, she currently has “real health problems” which force her to remain hospitalized.
Responsible for carrying out the sentence of Isabelle Balkany, the prosecution of Evreux, in the Eure, chose to do nothing until her state of health is stabilized.