Lille police chief detained in probe over alleged pimping network

Police in the northern French town of Lille have detained police chief Jean-Christophe Lagarde as part of an investigation into a pimping ring. Lagarde allegedly attended evenings at a luxury Paris hotel along with prostitutes and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund. 

Reuters/Pascal Rossignol

Police are also looking into trips made by Lagarde and businessmen to Washington when Strauss-Kahn was IMF chief. The last trip ended on 13 May this year, the day before Strauss-Kahn was arrested for the alleged sexual assault of New York hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo.

According to the Le Figaro newspaper, David Roquet, head of a subsidiary of construction giant Eiffage, paid part of the tab from the Paris hotel sex soirees. The company says he has been suspended with a view to dismissal pending an investigation.

Police have also questioned another Lille businessman, identified as Fabrice P, who is also suspected of paying another part of a bill.

Le Figaro, quoting Roquet’s testimony to police, says the first encounters took place at the L’Aventure club-restaurant in Paris in March 2009 where the men started having sex with women. Two similar encounters allegedly took place in 2010.

Roquet, who was charged with pimping on 14 October, said that Strauss-Kahn had not paid for anything.

Strauss-Kahn has told the French news agency that he wants to be questioned by the authorities as soon as possible over the allegations in order to end the “insinuations”.

The French case began after the manager and public relations chief of Lille’s Carlton Hotel were arrested and charges with arranging prostitutes for guests with the help of a pimp based in Belgium.