Geneva parliament calls for embattled politician to step down

Maudet (centre) had to hand over more power to his Geneva government colleagues and parliament gave the green light for further investigations in the same week. Keystone

Geneva’s parliament has passed a resolution calling on controversial cantonal government member Pierre Maudet to resign over alleged undue benefits.

Speaking before the vote on Friday, Maudet apologized again for his “imperfections” but ruled out stepping down because, he said, he was elected.

This comes after the cantonal parliament on Thursday decided to allow further legal investigations, extending the suspension of his immunity from prosecution. 

He is suspected of accepting money for his election campaign and other favours from a hotel chain in Geneva to the tune of more than CHF120,000 ($120,001).

His immunity was first lifted last September to allow the justice to probe his visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2015. Maudet has denied any legal breaches but publicly admits to lying about the trip to Abu Dhabi offered by a senior sheikh.

The latest parliamentary vote comes shortly after the seven-member Geneva government stripped Maudet of his powers in the cantonal executive as head of the security department.

He was given a newly created department in charge of business promotion.

Despite a vote of confidence by party grassroots last week, the cantonal chapter as well as the national Radical Party leadership have repeatedly called on Maudet to step down.

The charismatic 50-year old politician has refused to comply, saying legal investigations are still underway.