Dozens of Corsican nationalists invaded the luxurious villa of a French film star to hold a protest party. In the fallout, the top police official on the French Mediterranean island lost his job.

France’s political opposition has cried foul, saying the officer was sacked only because movie star Christian Clavier has a powerful close pal: President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The government has been quick to deny any connection between the sudden transfer of Corsica’s top police officer, Dominique Rossi, and Clavier’s long-standing friendship with Sarkozy.

Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie defended the move, saying Rossi’s failure to prevent Saturday’s demonstration undermined the foundations of the French state on the Mediterranean island, which has been racked by more than two decades of low-level separatist violence.

Ministry officials allege that Rossi failed to respond appropriately to a report Friday by France’s police intelligence agency warning that militants were poised to stage a demonstration among the luxury villas that line the southern beach of Palombaggia.

Only a handful of police officers were on hand Saturday when some 50 demonstrators forced their way into Clavier’s walled-off yard, where they milled around the swimming pool for an hour before being ushered out.

Police union officials reacted bitterly to news of the transfer, which will see 59-year-old Rossi moved to a lower-profile post in an internal police watchdog division. Emmanuel Roux, who heads a union for police commissioners, called the move a “regrettable punishment.”

Opposition politicians, too, were quick to seize on the incident. Alleging Sarkozy himself ordered the transfer, they say it demonstrates the French leader’s willingness to use his power to protect his friends.

“It’s revealing about the kind of regime we live under,” Francois Bayrou, who heads the centrist Modem party, told France Inter radio. “It shows where we end up when all the power is concentrated in a few hands and when being buddies with the powerful replaces the reasons of state.”

Sarkozy, a conservative who took office last year, is known for his flashy style and for cultivating friendships with the rich, powerful and famous. His public hobnobbing with billionaires, including his use of a yacht and jet belonging to French magnate Vincent Bollore, have raised eyebrows among many French, who are used to leaders with more discreet demeanors.

Le Parisien daily newspaper, which splashed the so-called Clavier affair on the front page of its Wednesday edition, said Sarkozy’s friendship with Clavier stretches back 15 years. Clavier has appeared in some of France’s most successful comedies, including “Les Visiteurs” (The Visitors).

Sarkozy has brushed off allegations of his involvement in Rossi’s sacking and has come out in support of Interior Minister Alliot-Marie, who assumed full responsibility for the decision.

“Stop your drama,” Alliot-Marie told reporters in response to questions on the matter.