French prosecutors conducted a search at the headquarters of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance Party in connection to an ongoing investigation on Wednesday. Reuters reported that the investigation concerned the use of consulting firms by the French government since 2017.
According to a report in a report in Le Parisien newspaper, the offices of consulting company McKinsey were also searched by the National Financial Prosecutors’ Office.
“It’s normal for the judiciary to investigate freely and independently to shed all the light on this subject,” a Renaissance spokesman, Loic Signor, told AFP in the aftermath of the search.
He added that the party is ready “to provide all useful information on the campaigns”. McKinsey also confirmed that the search was conducted and they will be cooperating with the authorities.
The allegations over false election campaign accounting as well as favouritism and conspiracy has been dominating the political scene in France since the probe was launched earlier this year. The Prosecutor’s Office also told reporters that certain companies were favoured when it comes to government contracts with the total outlays reaching more than $1.1 billion.
The controversy did not include the name of President Emmanuel Macron specifically but he has been facing pressure from the opposition regarding the matter. France has strict rules and regulations when it comes to financing of election campaigns and in the past decade, various political parties have come under the scanner for discrepancies in their numbers.
Even the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to prison for one year in 2021 for illegal financing related to his presidential campaign in 2012.
(With inputs from agencies)
