14 October 2008

PARIS - Police arrested nine people including the French head of the Taser stungun firm and a police civil servant Tuesday on suspicion of spying on Trotskyist leader Olivier Besancenot, sources said.

 

Paris prosecutors launched a probe in May after a magazine reported

that a private detective firm was tailing the 34-year-old former presidential

candidate, prompting his far-left party to sue for violation of privacy.

 

Those arrested include Taser France head Antoine Di Zazzo and a police department official who was recently transferred from his job in the

capital to one in the provinces, according to an official close to the

investigation.

 

The head of the controversial stun gun company was being held in custody in connection with the investigation. According to L'Express magazine, detectives tailed Besancenot and his partner between October 2007 and January 2008 from outside their Parisapartment, photographed them and recorded their bank details.

 

The magazine claimed the alleged surveillance operation could not have been

carried out without the help of civil servants with access to French interior

ministry files.

 

Besancenot is winding up his party, the Communist Revolutionary League (LCR), to found a New Anti-Capitalist Party in January, including the remains of the once-powerful Communist Party, environmentalists, disaffected Socialists and anti-globalisation activists.

 

The articulate and telegenic politician led the pack of six far-left

candidates in last year's presidential election, picking up four percent

of the vote.

 

[AFP / Expatica]