The first of what could be many public inquiries worldwide into government handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been announced in France today.
The investigation will be led by the chief prosecutor of Paris after he launched a preliminary inquiry into the authorities’ response to the outbreak.
Prosecutor Remy Heitz will investigate potential criminal offences after he received 62 complaints. He will examine the handling of the pandemic by public bodies, including government ministries, local authorities and nursing homes.
Mr Heitz indicated that possible charges against officials could involve “involuntary homicide” and “endangering life”.
Other countries will now face calls to launch probes over their governments’ action when the infection spread across Europe. Pressure is growing in Britain for Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, and his senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, to answer questions on core decisions over the lockdown delay and a shortage of protective equipment. With the second-highest death toll in the world, recording more than 40,000 fatalities, Britain’s handling of the pandemic has been criticised.
The French investigation comes after complaints were filed by civil groups and members of the public over alleged failures to put in place antivirus protections at the workplace, to provide face masks and to carry out mass testing.
The virus has claimed more than 29,000 lives in France with almost 200,000 people infected.
The investigation is not aimed at determining “political or administrative responsibility,” Mr Heitz told news agencies, but whether national decision-makers had committed “possible criminal offences”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, as head of state, has immunity from prosecution and is not a target of the inquiry, nor are government ministers who can be held accountable only by the Republican Court of Justice, an administrative tribunal.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has jurisdiction over issues of national public health and over crimes allegedly committed within the borders of the city, where most of the state authorities targeted by Mr Heitz’s inquiry are located.
Possible charges of involuntary homicide, involuntary injury, endangering life, failure to combat a threat and non-assistance to persons in danger are now being examined by a branch of the prosecutor’s office dedicated to alleged threats to public health.
"If there is criminal wrongdoing, it will probably have been, it's a hypothesis, unintentional," Mr Heitz said.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
