Sticks and stones…
Losing the battle in the masonic arena (in barely 2 months he’s lost 17% of the GLNF membership), Ephesse has once again opted for his favourite bear pit, the courtrooms of the Republic. As usual we ask the question, who’s paying ? No doubt the answer is as usual, the poor grassroots GLNF members ! Those who continue to believe their boat will come in next June 23rd at Miss Monique’s latest GM fiasco. When will they realize Ephesse’s delaying tactics serve his aims of putting off the GM ratification decision and replenishing the seriously depleted GLNF coffers.
And who’s the target of the writ this time, and why ? None other than Alain Juillet, Grand Master of the largest pebble in Ephesse’s shoe, the GL-AMF, the direct beneficiary of the 17% GLNF membership defection. Why is Ephesse taking Alain Juillet to court ? For alleged slanderous insults.
The writ was served on March 15th for an initial procedural audience in the Toulon Court on June 11th. Toulon isn’t too far from Ephesse’s French Riviera domain. In these troubled economic times, even slight economies aren’t to be sneezed at ! Or could it be that the Paris judges are just a trifle fed up with Ephesse – GLNF writs ?
Back to the allegation of slanderous insults. Let’s not forget that Ephesse is an excellent “allegator” ! This time he suggests that during a private ULRF meeting on January 28th, Alain Juillet said that Ephesse was “a dictator, wheeler-dealer and trickster”. Alain Juillet allegedly criticized “Stifani’s cynical and iniquitous work”, “the small sectarian clan who want to steal the GLNF from the brethren who’ve kept it alive for 100 years”, the little group of wheeler-dealers who mistake the GLNF for a property investment trust”. And the icing on the cake is Alain Juillet’s alleged statement, “Like all dictators from Ben Ali to Moubarak, passing via Gbagbo, François Stifani wants to remain in place.” Insulting ? Slanderous ? Or nothing at all since the alleged statements occurred during a private meeting ?
François Stifani has called for damages of 30 000 € plus 5 000 € for legal expenses…and the publishing of the court decision in L’Express and Nice-Matin.
Alain Juillet does not seem to be unduly worried at the eventual outcome. We remind readers that almost a year ago he alluded to numerous skeletons in the GLNF cupboard that could more than just embarrass François Stifani and his closest fawnicators.
Between now and the GLNF association general assembly on June 23rd the French courts will have to deal with :
- the insulting slander writ brought against Alain Juillet by Ephesse, June 11th
- the writ brought against Miss Monique by Ephesse claiming her mandate expired on March 30th with his election as Grand Master candidate, June 19th
- the appeal by Miss Monique against Ephesse concerning the single ballot election, June 21st.