INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
said he continued to exchange messages regularly with French president even after he was forced out of his job in July over a
scandal.Alexandre Benalla caused most damaging controversy of Macron's presidency after he was caught on video roughing up protesters at a
state last week when it emerged he had retained his diplomatic passports even after losing his job.In an interview with investigative
website Mediapart, Benalla said Sunday that he continued giving advice to Macron via Telegram messaging app, which president uses
intensively."We exchange messages on lots of different subjects
It's often like, 'how do you see things'
It could be about 'yellow vests', views on someone or security issues," Benalla said.The 27 year old former bouncer began working as a
bodyguard for Macron during his campaign for presidency in 2016 before being promoted to a senior security role in presidential palace in
May 2017.Benalla's role and ties between two men have been focus of intense media scrutiny and latest comments undermine efforts by Macron
to distance himself publicly.The French president is to give a televised New Year's address later on Monday evening at 8:00 pm (19:00 GMT)
same time as "yellow vest" protesters have called for a new demonstration on Champs-Elysees in Paris.The protest movement, which swelled up
from rural and small-town France in November, has waned in intensity in recent weeks after Macron announced a series of measures for
low-income families.Benalla admitted visiting around a dozen countries in recent months and he said he always gave an account of his trips
to president or his aides.He met with Chad's President Idriss Deby earlier in December, and Le Monde newspaper has reported that he held
talks with Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, as well as top officials in Cameroon."I explain that I've seen so and so and
Afterwards they can do what they like with it," Benalla told Mediapart.He added, however, that since revelations about his diplomatic
passport emerged "link has been cut" with presidency.Last Tuesday, French presidency said that Benalla was "not an official or unofficial
But Benalla denied suggestions from foreign ministry that he had used his diplomatic passports illegally, something which prosecutors are
TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
