FRENCH DETECTIVE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 92, 12 January 1935, Page 7

FRENCH DETECTIVE

Dismissal From Service

Paris, January 10.

Detective-Inspector Bony refused to answer the police disciplinary committee’s questions, and was accordingly cismissed from the service.

INSPECTOR IN TEARS

Hearing of Libel Action

Police-Inspector Bony, who played a prominent part in the Stavisky case, lost his £2500 action for libel against tlie political weekly newspaper, “Grlngoire.” Tlie paper charged him witli complicity in tlie Stavisky affair.

The decision vindicates the long Press campaign against the alleged blackmailing and criminal activities of Inspector Bony. Ho lias frequently been openly described as "Stavisky’s benchman” at police headquarters. Not for a long time has a lawsuit aroused such passionate interest throughout France. The jury's verdict was cheered in court. Tlie verdict followed a final duel between the two counsel. Maitre Lamour, for Inspector Bony, pleaded that his client had been the most unjustly treated man in France. Maitre Torres, for the “Gringoire,” delivered such a terrible denunciation of Bony that the latter’s eyes streamed with tears.

“Bony,” declared tlie barrister, "you do not represent tlie police. The honest police reject, you. You complain that your 10-year-old son is cursed and kicked at school. I ask you, is it not your own fault if your innocent son suffers?

"Our cheerful friend. 'Jo the Terror,’ who looks so like a chairman of a board of directors, has been proved to have formed part, of Stavisky’s bodyguard. Witnesses have proved, also, your long relations with botli him and Stavisky. Yet you have the effrontery to say you were not Stavisky's accomplice.” In reply to lhe declaration of Maitre Lamour (for Bony) that it had not been proved that either “Jo the Terror” or Bony had been paid for handing over the Stavisky cheque counterfoils, Maitre Torres asked, "Whoever heard of a police informer doing something for nothing? Is the jury really so naive as to expect that a magistrate would lie allowed to be aware of such a transaction?”

In conclusion, Maitre Torres demanded dramatically: “I ask for your verdict to end the tyranny of police blackmailers, and put the police in the service of justice, instead of making justice subservient to the police.” Previous to the speech of Maitre Torres, Maitre Lamour had delivered an eloquent speech, declaring that Inspector Bony had been the scapegoat for other people’s offences in connection with the Stavisky and Judge Prince scandals.

“I plead on behalf of the most calumniated man in France.” he declared, “This unimportant police officer, whose job it was to execute orders and not to give them, was overcome by catastrophe from the moment when lie was ordered to question Mme. Stavisky, the swindler’s wife.

“If Inspector Bony had not questioned .her he would not be held responsible for all France’s misfortunes/ It would have been someone else.” Maitre Lamour also declared that, following the charges brought against him by the “Gringoire,” everv unsolved crime in France was now attributed to Inspector Bony.

“M. Bony will soon lie accused even of having murdered the Englishwoman. Mrs. Wilson, at Le Touquet some years ago.” he declared.