GROWS IN BEN BARKA CASE
By. George Saunders
Continuing sensational revelations in the Ben Barka case and the very suspicious death of a key witness, Georges Figon, have blown up a crisis of major. proportions for the de Gaulle government. The scandal promises to rank with the Dreyfus. affair, in its revelations of complicity. in high places. And it. recalls the Stavisky affair in the 1930's -~ a scandal involving govern~ ment corruption that shook France and became one of the preludes to a big leftward shift in the political arena.
the extent. of the pressure on de. Gaulle can ‘be seen in his. issuing of international warrants for the arrest of Moroccan In-. terior Minister Gen. Mohammed Oufkir and two of Oufkir's aides... France has-recalled its ambassador and threatens to apply..economic and financial sanctions if Morocco does submit these officials to. judgment by the French criminal courts.
De Gaulle has gone to great lengths in a transparent attempt to shift the onus of this major scandal onto Morocco and get the heat off his own government. Undoubtedly , the sinister Oufkir, who is said to work closely with the CIA, played a key role in the kidnapping and apparent murder of the Moroccan-socialist leader. But the evidence indicates that very high officials in the French government played an equally important part.
Recent testimony has linked a number of French agencies or officials to the crime:
A Major Le Roy was fired from his post as a secret service officer in the Department of Alien Documentation and Counterespionage for not reporting to his superiors on the kidnapping. Le Roy then testified that the head of another department knew even more about the kidnapping than he did. He referred to- “the General Information Bureau (BGI), which is directly responsible ~ to de Gaulle's interior minister, Roger ‘Frey.
A subordinate of Le Roy's in the Department of ‘Alien. Docu mentation and Counterespionage, Antoine Lopez, was one of the kidnappers. He testified that Jacques: Foccart, ome of dé -Gaulle's closest aides, was kept informed of the ‘plans for the kidnapping. Foccart is de Gaulle's presidential staff secretary; he-also advises de Gaulle on -- African affairs!
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. fhe. weekly news magazine J'Express printed an "eyewitness... account" of the crime by Georges Figon. Figon was in position : to give an authentic account as he was one of the kidnappers. L'Express printed a second statement by Figon in its January “24 issue. This statement was said to’ have been made. by Figon three hours before his death from a bullet wound said by the police to have been self-inflicted.
Figon charged that _a Gaullist deputy, Pierre Lemarchand, was involved in the crime. Lemarchand and Jean Caille, head of the political department of the Paris police,. heard a report by Figon immediately after the kidnapping, according to the kidnapper.
bicon anttnwtea ‘that Teatchana and Caille night neve
been inspirers of the crime. Both men had served. earlier ina .:°°: Gaullist- underground organization, the. "Barbouzes." Lemarchand is a close friend of de Gaulle's interior minister, ‘Roger Prey. who at one time headed - the “Bar bouzes. oe Bae
Figon's untimely death is being investigated. It is the center of-furor in the press. For two months after the kidnapping, Figon‘ roamed Paris freely although a warrant was out. for his arrest in connection with the investigation of. Ben Barka's LE disappearance. ‘Reporters interviewed Pigon and took photographs ~. of him; the police, ,Sbrangely, » couldn't find him... At: least. that. . is what they claimed. LO, wos :
Then when they finally did.locate. the fugitive, they were again disappointed. “Figon. shot himself just as: they entered his:. apartment. --At least that: is what they teported. iy
To make the case all. the...more: mysterious, the. fingerprints» on the death weapon were’ ruled "not usable" for identification. No one doubts the fact. however, that Figon was:killed by a gun held at close range.