French hard-right leader Marine Le Pen faces fraud probe for 'illegal financing' days after her National Rally suffered shock election defeat

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French criminal prosecutors coming opened an investigation into ‘illegal financing’ by Marine Le Pen and her far-Right National Rally party.

It followed them being beaten into 3rd spot successful parliamentary elections held complete nan weekend.

Judicial sources successful Paris connected Tuesday confirmed that nan caller criminal enquiry related to Ms Le Pen’s effort to go President of France successful 2022.

‘A judicial investigation was opened aft a study to nan courts from nan National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing,’ said one.

The enquiry is believed to beryllium related to nan RN (for Rassemblement National – French for National Rally) allegedly wrongly utilizing taxpayer-generated costs from nan European Parliament.

French criminal prosecutors coming opened an investigation into ‘illegal financing’ by Marine Le Pen and her far-Right National Rally party, days aft her National Rally suffered daze predetermination defeat

Marine Le Pen arrives astatine nan far-right RN statement office successful Paris yesterday a time aft nan 2nd information of France's legislative election. French President connected Monday was to commencement efforts to extract France from its astir terrible governmental uncertainty successful decades aft nan near defeated nan acold correct successful elections pinch nary group winning an absolute majority

Ms Le Pen is already facing a criminal punishment and a prohibition connected opinionated for elected agency if she is recovered blameworthy pursuing an embezzlement proceedings which opens successful Paris successful September.

It is alleged that nan 55-year-old illegally accessed immoderate €620,000 (£513,000) connected behalf of her party.

Ms Le Pen whitethorn person to look successful tribunal pinch 12 different members of nan RN, which was antecedently called nan National Front.

On proceeding astir nan proceedings past September, Ms Le Pen accused nan judiciary of acting successful a mode that was ‘above each political’.

She added: ‘We will coming our arguments earlier nan tribunal connected their merits.’ All those implicated contradict immoderate wrongdoing.

Supporters of Marine Le Pen respond aft nan merchandise of projections based connected nan existent ballot count successful prime constituencies , Sunday, June 30, 2024 successful bluish France. French voters propelled nan far-right National Rally to a beardown lead successful first-round legislative elections Sunday and plunged nan state into governmental uncertainty, according to polling projections.

Ms Le Pen’s ain father, Jean-Marine Le Pen, nan 95-year-old laminitis of nan FN, was besides connected nan suspect sheet, but past week it was ruled that he was ‘unfit to guidelines trial,’ because of his age.

Embezzlement is simply a crime punishable successful France by ‘up to 10 years successful prison’, and penalties besides disposable to judges see fines balanced to astir £1million.

In nan Le Pen case, prosecutors are seeking ‘the further punishment of deprivation of nan correct to beryllium elected, for a maximum play of 5 years,’ said a root adjacent to nan case.

Ms Le Pen is presently an MP, truthful if she were to beryllium convicted pursuing trial, she would beryllium ruled retired of nan 2027 statesmanlike election, contempt styling herself arsenic a early president.

The investigation into RN fraud began successful March 2015, erstwhile nan European Parliament announced that it had referred imaginable irregularities to nan EU anti-fraud office.

Supporters of The Ecologists-EELV greenish statement observe pursuing nan first results of nan 2nd information of France's legislative predetermination during nan party's predetermination nighttime arena successful Paris connected Sunday

Tens of 1000 group stitchery connected Place de la République to protestation against nan far-right statement National Rally past week successful Paris, France

It chiefly concerned salaries paid to parliamentary assistants, and moreover to Ms Le Pen’s bodyguard.

Ms Le Pen is accused of personally diverting immoderate £114,00 (€137,000) of EU costs taken illegally during her clip arsenic an MEP, betwixt 2004 and 2017, into statement coffers.

This efficaciously intends that nan statement was utilizing EU money for its ain business successful Paris, alternatively than for activity successful Brussels.

Ms Le Pen was runner up to Emmanuel Macron successful nan title to go president of France successful 2022, aft a akin consequence successful 2017.

Party laminitis Jean-Marie Le Pen successful move came 2nd to Jacques Chirac successful nan statesmanlike predetermination of 2002.

Mr Le Pen has already been convicted successful a criminal court, notably for spreading group hatred, for Holocaust denial, and for different anti-Semitic crimes.

Before Sunday night, nan RN was confidently predicting that it would triumph a mostly successful nan National Assembly successful Paris, and spell connected to shape nan adjacent government.

Ms Le Pen said she was waiting to go president successful 2027, while her protégé, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, would go premier minister.

But nan predetermination was won by nan New Popular Front – an confederation of Leftist and centrist parties created to artifact nan RN – pinch Mr Macron’s Rennaissance / Together confederation coming second.

No statement sewage an wide majority, meaning a hung parliament and governmental deadlock.

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