A Frenchman was locked up for two days and is facing criminal charges for sending a joke email to Rachida Dati, the former Justice Minister, asking for "an inflation".

The unnamed 40-year-old contacted the MEP at the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week following her appearance on a national radio station when she confused the words "fellatio" and "inflation" – which sound similar in French.

At the time Miss Dati managed to laugh off the mix-up, saying she had spoken too quickly.

After Miss Dati complained about the joke email, the home of sender from Bourg de Péage region of south east France, was raided by Lyon's Judicial Police.

Ivan Flaud, the man's lawyer, said: "My client's computer was seized and he was remanded in custody for 48 hours."

The man was traced through the IP address on his personal computer.

After being kept in a cell and then placed on bail he was ordered to appear in court on December 3 charged with displaying contempt towards a public servant, an offence which is punishable with a prison sentence of up to a month and a €10,000 (£8,700) fine.

"My client solely addressed the email to Miss Dati, and did not distribute it to anyone else," said Mr Flaud, saying there was nothing offensive about it as it solely contained an innocent euphemism.

"The email was addressed to Miss Dati as a person and not as a public servant," he said. He said that politicians and others in public life frequently receive humorous emails, and even obscene ones are considered part and parcel of life in the public eye.

Miss Dati was an authoritarian Justice Minister thanks to her close links with President Nicolas Sarkozy, a former Interior Minister known for his uncompromising attitude to upholding the law.

He finally sacked Miss Dati for her inability to do her job properly, accusing her of being too interested in becoming a glamorous celebrity.

Mr Sarkozy is known to detest attacks on politicians and has frequently used the courts to defend his reputation.

Anthony Paganelli, a Lyons prosecutor, defended the arrest saying "contempt is clear when a term is used to lower the reputation of a public servant, in this case Miss Dati, who is referred to by name in her email."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ation.html

Quality

Jail? Are you frickin serious?

Well she is definitely glamourous and I would love an inflation from her as well.

Politics has been described as showbiz for ugly people. Maybe she wants real showbiz celebrity status and not politician celebrity status.


Excessive I do hope that he sues the police for wrongful arrest.