Benalla to Appear Before French Senate Commission

Emmanuel Macron’s former security aide Alexandre Benalla said late Tuesday he would appear before a Senate’s inquiry into the affair that bears his name in a bid to avoid “legal proceedings”. Benalla had initially refused to appear before the commission, only to change his mind when he was threatened with two years in prison, France24 reported. The scandal kicked off in July when Benalla, a top Macron security aide, was identified in a video as acting violently toward a protester while wearing police equipment during a Mayday parade. Benalla, who initially stayed in his job before a public uproar led to his dismissal, has since faced initial charges, including committing violent acts and impersonating a police officer. While Macron promised transparency and an exemplary government before his election, the scandal raised questions about his team’s working methods and actions. The Senate formed a commission to investigate the affair and called the main protagonists to testify.