French President Georges Pompidou, speaking at a televised press conference in Paris on Thursday (21 September), pledged that Government supporters implicated in current corruption allegations would be weeded out.

At the press conference M. Pompidou addressed himself for the first time to the allegations made by former Government official Gabriel Aranda, who claimed to have photocopies of 136 documents compromising 48 French public figures.

Precedent Pempidou called on the French people to treat the "torrens of denunciation and insinuations" with prudence and reserve. He went on to describe the photocopying machine as "a sickness of our modern age which is raping the secrecy of politicians' administrations and which tomorrow will rape business, industrial and family life".

M. Pompidou admitted that some members of Parliament had become involved in "marginal, sometimes doubtful, sometimes inadmissible" interventions with French authorities on behalf of constituents, in the hopes of boosting their electoral chances. And, their were also perhaps members of Parliament who used their title and influence to make money for their personal benefit.

"In these cases, the force of the law and public scorn is merited" M. Pompidou said.

The France President also commented on the summit meeting of heads of the expanded Common Market, next month.