Chapter 162

The prosecutor asked with furrowed brows, “Mr Dupont, didn’t you say that you knew about the fund

transactions but that you were coerced to perform those illegal transactions?”

Se

Dupont faked a smile and answered, “I said that I was coerced, yes. But I didn’t say I had been aware of

the transactions.”

“So, what did you think you were coerced to do?”

“I was told to keep quiet about whatever the Duke was thinking of doing. But I didn’t know I’d be paid to

be silent.”

“The document I’ve just placed before you shows the list of properties you acquired in the past eighteen

years. Tell me, Mr Dupont, do you own them?”

“Yes.”

“How did you purchase them?”

“With money.”

“Money from your salary?”

“Well, that’s what I thought. It wasn’t until you sent the audits to my lawyers did I realize that part of what

I spent may well be from the government.”

“And a percentage was transferred to a company, Wu Bi Corporation, why?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of the company. Perhaps it’s the missing Duke’s?”

“Do you have evidence that Greg Claw is the owner?”

“Well, no. It was simply a guess.”

“So, you’re saying that you never knew that you’ve been transferring funds to Wu Bi Corporation, and

that you had been spending the government’s money?”

“Yes, I didn’t have a clue.” Dupont acted so well that Lucianne was even thinking of nominating him for

an Oscar award. Xandar, on the other hand, wondered how many hours Dupont practised his act in front

of the mirror before taking the stand.

The prosecutor’s eyebrows raised in disbelief as she questioned, “You truly believed that your salary was

enough to acquire a stamp collection in the millions, and palatial mansions in the billions?”

“Well, I don’t have a habit of constantly checking on the amount I have left in my bank account, so when I

purchase a property and my card isn’t rejected, I assume that I have the necessary funds to purchase

the property in question.” 1

The prosecutor was finding it harder to hide her disgust for the witness. She composed herself, and

asked, “Mr Dupont, how did you come about being the Deputy Finance Minister?”

“Fortunately, I was the best of the best, la crème de la crème, you know.” Dupont said with pride.

“How does one become the best of the best, Mr Dupont?”

“Oh, there’re very stringent requirements. Good education was the primary consideration, of course.”

“And what was your ‘good education’ that got you appointed?”

Dupont glowed like he was just given a chance to brag, and brag he did. “Well, I was educated in Helm

University, and I was the top three students in my year.”

“Your degree is in Finance, correct?”

“With First-Class Honors.” Dupont added with a monkey grin.

“Don’t you find it odd when a top student in Finance, graduated from the top university of the Kingdom,

doesn’t check his own finances?”

“No. On the contrary, I find my habits to be most appropriate. With experience comes less worry.”

“You have a daughter in a music school, is that correct?”

“Yes, the best one in the Kingdom.” He glowed even more radiantly.

There was a glint in the prosecutor’s eye when she said, “And, unsurprisingly, the most expensive. Her

tuition itself costs five hundred thousand dollars a year. Now, tell me, Mr Dupont, how did you afford it

with the modest two hundred and forty thousand dollars you eam annually?”

“Savings.”

“What savings?”

“I’ve started saving since I was a boy. It’s a habit that my parents saw fit to instill in me.”

“How old are you, Mr Dupont?”

“Four hundred and two as of last month.”

“Do you realize that even if you didn’t spend a single cent on living expenses, it still would have been

impossible for you to own all the assets that you do?”

“I did not realize that, I’m afraid.”

“Strange. And as for these telephone records and transcripts between you and Helena Tanner regarding

the transfer of government funds, what do you have to say about it?”

“That wasn’t me. Whoever it was must have been hiding behind my name.”

“We traced the call to your phone.”

“Someone must have stolen my phone to make the call.”

“Voice experts confirmed that it was your voice at the end of the call with Tanner.”

“A voice-alteration device, I suppose.”

The prosecutor paused for a moment before she continued, “Alright. Then, answer me this, Mr Dupont.

Why were these calls traced to your home?”

“I don’t know. I’m not familiar with the latest technology.”

“So, you didn’t know government funds were channeled into your account; you didn’t know you couldn’t

afford the stamp collections and mansions; you didn’t know your daughter’s music school would’ve

forced you into bankruptcy; you didn’t know about the calls made between Helena Tanner and someone

who sounded exactly like you. Is there anything you did know, Mr Dupont?”

“I knew that I was coerced to keep quiet about the Duke’s plans.”

“Without being given anything in return?”

Dupont chuckled darkly, “If you knew him, you’d know that he can make one do anything without offering

any sort of compensation. And if we were to look at the audits you presented, prosecutor, wouldn’t you

admit that the Duke took some amount as well?”

“Less than fifteen percent compared to what you took, Mr Dupont.”

“Well, I didn’t even know I took anything! Those telephone records you have may well be someone else

altogether!”

“So, you’re saying that someone could’ve broken into your home, undetected, on multiple occasions,

stolen your phone, made the numerous phone calls, put the phone back and left your house?”

“Yes, that’s the only plausible explanation.” It was baffling how Dupont chose to use the word ‘plausible’

when whatever the prosecutor just suggested was nowhere near plausible.

The prosecutor didn’t give up. “What if I told you that the cameras around your home showed no one

entering or leaving your residence before and after the call?”

Dupont shrugged and said, “I’d tell you that my cameras could’ve been hacked for all we know.”

“I’m quite relieved you didn’t suggest that someone could’ve used some made-up underground

passageway that you didn’t know about, Mr Dupont. As for your cameras, we’ve verified that there was

no tampering.”

“Well, I don’t live alone. Anyone could’ve had access to my phone in that span of time. And if they did,

they were probably just fooling around, pulling a prank, if you will.”

“Mr Dupont, are you suggesting that your own daughter or your wife could have colluded in this

corruption scheme using your identity?”

His wife’s eyes widened in horror at the front row, and his daughter was shaking her head in his way,

pleading with her father to deny it.

Dupont was unperturbed when he said, “Well, I doubt it was them. But my family isn’t the only ones who

live in my humble abode, prosecutor. I have servants. Ten of them. Any one of them could’ve done it. I’ve

even changed servants over the years, so any of those who’ve been dismissed could be the culprit as

well.”

“Which servant of yours knows the passcode to your phone, Mr Dupont?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Perhaps I can help you be sure, Mr Dupont. We’ve spoken to your servants. And all of them said that

you have never allowed any of them near your phone. You’d rather make your way to the other end of

your home to answer a ringing call than to ask one of them to bring it to you. Two years ago, you

dismissed a servant because you caught her glancing at the number of an incoming call on your screen.

What do you have to say about this?”

“I’ve dismissed servants for a wide range of reasons, I don’t recall this particular occasion.”

“Your selective amnesia is astounding, minister, as is your ability to derail the line of questioning. Let me

ask again, more simply this time do you allow your servants to touch or be anywhere near your phone?”

After glancing at Mr Clark, Dupont uttered, “I’m not sure.”

“Would you fire a servant for glancing at an incoming call by accident?”

“I’m not certain.”

“Has any servant ever answered a call on your behalf before handing your phone to you?”

“I don’t recall.”

When the prosecutor was satisfied that Dupont’s ambiguous answers only strengthened the evidence

the prosecution had against him, she ended her questioning. . Mr Clark started the cross-examination.