EU ANTI-FRAUD BODY TO RECOVER FUNDS FROM FRENCH ELECTION CANDIDATE MARINE LE PEN

Mon 18 April 2022:

As the far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, prepares to confront President Emmanuel Macron in France’s unpredictable election run-off, the European Parliament announced Sunday it will try to recover money owing to her over fraud allegations.

A investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud authority OLAF accused Le Pen and three other former MEPs, including her father Jean-Marie, of misusing European Parliament funds, according to the French news site Mediapart.

The investigation also claims that between 2004 and 2017, Le Pen plundered about 137,000 euros ($148,000) from the Strasbourg-based parliament while serving as an MEP.

A source said the European Parliament had referred the case to OLAF after uncovering some of the alleged irregularities.

“In total, we’re talking about 617,000 euros wrongfully paid. We will now proceed with recovery (of the money) from the interested parties in the coming weeks,” the source added.

According to her lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut, the OLAF inquiry has been ongoing since 2016, and Le Pen was questioned by post in March 2021.

Since 2017, Le Pen has been under investigation for allegedly using fictitious party assistants in the European Parliament.

The anticipated move against the leader of the National Rally comes as polls show she has a good chance of defeating Macron in the second round of the French presidential election on April 24.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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