Chapter 481: The Crime of Unexplained Wealth
Marat glanced at the Prince's expression and then at the investigation reports in his hand. He immediately said, "Your Highness, please give me some time. If these officials have indeed been corrupt, I'll uncover the truth!"
Joseph listened, but his frown remained. He trusted Marat's relentless spirit—eventually, he would find evidence against these officials, just as he had uncovered the corruption of the Governor of Poitou. But the problem was that it would take too long.
If they didn't swiftly intimidate those who opposed abolishing the tax farming system, more officials would likely follow suit, taking bribes to join the opposition. After all, even if the postal system "collapsed," it would only cause chaos for about a month. They needed to cut through the issue quickly and convict all 40-plus officials.
For a fleeting moment, Joseph even considered having the Intelligence Bureau fabricate evidence against these officials.
However, he immediately dismissed the idea. Setting such a precedent could have dangerous consequences down the road—one day, the intelligence agencies might fabricate evidence against the royal family itself.
It was better to adhere to recognized political rules to avoid severe side effects.
Joseph absentmindedly flipped through the investigation reports in his hand and suddenly noticed something. One of the reports mentioned that an official in a southern province had amassed a fortune of 50,000 francs. His position was merely that of a judicial assistant at the city hall, with a monthly salary of no more than 60 francs. He didn't come from a noble family with an estate, nor did he have any significant business ventures.
In other words, without illicit income, it would take this man 70 years of work, without spending a cent, to accumulate such wealth.
He had only been in his position for nine years, and Montauban, where he worked, was a very poor province.
Joseph flipped to the next page.
This one was about the municipal commissioner of Poitiers, who had a fortune of over 120,000 francs. His family did own a small estate, but it generated only about 2,500 francs per year. The estate had been purchased by his father 17 years ago and couldn't possibly have contributed to his substantial wealth.
The next dozen cases were similar: these officials had considerable wealth but no legitimate sources of income to justify it.
Joseph narrowed his eyes. The reports only contained the assets that investigators could quickly identify, meaning the officials' actual wealth was likely even greater.
One phrase came to mind—the crime of unexplained wealth.
While it was unrealistic to formalize such a crime into law in the 18th century, and the legislative process would take too long anyway, nothing prevented them from using the concept in their investigations.
After all, the Public Integrity Investigation Bureau had the power to conduct interrogations, and Marat, who already disliked bureaucrats, wouldn't hesitate to use this as a pretext.
Joseph smiled at Marat. "Mr. Marat, have you ever heard of 'the crime of unexplained wealth'?"
"Huh?"
...
In the city of Poitiers, inside an office of the Public Integrity Investigation Bureau, Baron de Caston, the municipal commissioner, glared angrily at the two black-clad investigators in front of him, clenching his fists. "You dare summon me without any evidence! I will take this to the Queen!"
"Please… please don't be upset," said Desmoulins calmly. "We… we're only here to have a chat. As… as for taking it to the Queen, that's… that's your right."
The bureau had been extremely busy lately, and as the second-in-command, Desmoulins had to participate in the interrogations personally.
Seemingly frustrated by his own slow speech, Desmoulins glanced at his assistant and then stepped aside.
The assistant immediately pulled out a document and said sternly to Baron de Caston, "Your assets exceed 120,000 francs, correct?"
"What business is that of yours?!"
Desmoulins' assistant continued as if speaking to himself, "You've previously served as assistant treasurer and trade commissioner, and four years ago, you were promoted to municipal commissioner. We've calculated that over the years, your total salary has been 7,820 francs."
"So what?" scoffed Caston.
"Your estate has generated a total income of around 37,000 francs since it was purchased. The rent from your property in the eastern part of the city has amounted to 4,000 francs over the years. You've written articles for Life and Salon, earning a total of…"
"…"
"Your wife and children have no income. Your wife brought a dowry of 2,000 francs when you married her. Have I missed anything?"
Caston sneered, refusing to respond.
"So, all of your income since birth adds up to 51,000 francs," the assistant droned on. "Yet your assets exceed 120,000 francs."
He suddenly leaned in so close that his nose almost touched Caston's. "So, tell me, where did the extra 87,000 francs come from?"
"The extra?" Caston was momentarily stunned—he had never been questioned like this before.
He grew nervous. "It… it was an inheritance from my father."
"You're lying! Your inheritance tax amounted to only 720 livres, meaning you inherited less than 10,000 livres."
"Oh, I remember now, it was dividends from an investment I made in a friend's business."
"Good. What's his name, where does he live, and what business does he run?"
"…" Caston couldn't make up a story fast enough and finally snapped, "So what if I have money? It's all from friends who admire me!"
Desmoulins suddenly smiled. "Who… who gave you the money?"
"None of your business!"
"Of… of course it's my business," Desmoulins shouted. "Gi… giving money to an official without cause is… is bribery!"
Caston was interrogated for two days and nights. Then, Desmoulins applied to the High Court for a two-day extension. Joseph had already instructed the royal supreme court to expedite such requests, so the extension was quickly approved.
Although Caston was a noble, the Jacobin investigators had little sympathy for the nobility. They used every coercive tactic in the book, short of physical violence, to break him down—denying sleep, issuing threats, and more.
Finally, on the afternoon of the second day, Caston broke down and began confessing his embezzlement.
While many movies and TV shows depict criminals with unbreakable mental strength, holding out under interrogation, in reality, most people can't last even half a day before their psychological defenses crumble.
Especially when Desmoulins relentlessly attacked the "unexplained wealth" issue, Caston found it impossible to dodge the questions.
Similar scenes played out across France, where Public Integrity Investigation Bureau investigators enjoyed great success.
(End of Chapter)
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