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Inquiry into presidential candidate François Fillon to remain open Inquiry into presidential candidate François Fillon to remain open
(35 minutes later)
France’s financial prosecutor has announced that an investigation into fake work allegations surrounding presidential candidate François Fillon will remain open, in a new blow to the ex-prime minister’s campaign. France’s financial prosecutor has announced that an investigation into fake work allegations surrounding the presidential candidate François Fillon will remain open, in a new blow to the ex-prime minister’s campaign.
A three-week-old scandal over hundreds of thousands of euros in taxpayers’ money that his wife was paid for work she may not have done has cost conservative Fillon his status as favourite to win the French presidency in May.A three-week-old scandal over hundreds of thousands of euros in taxpayers’ money that his wife was paid for work she may not have done has cost conservative Fillon his status as favourite to win the French presidency in May.
“It is my duty to affirm that the numerous elements collected [by investigators] do not, at this stage, permit the case to be dropped,” prosecutor Éliane Houlette said in a statement, after receiving an initial police report on the subject. “It is my duty to affirm that the numerous elements collected [by investigators] do not, at this stage, permit the case to be dropped,” the prosecutor Éliane Houlette said in a statement after receiving an initial police report on the subject.
The prosecutor did not announce any further steps, but among the choices before it are: dropping the case, taking it further by appointing an investigating magistrate or sending it straight to trial.The prosecutor did not announce any further steps, but among the choices before it are: dropping the case, taking it further by appointing an investigating magistrate or sending it straight to trial.
Fillon, 62, has said he would step down from the campaign should he be put under formal investigation, but his camp has also challenged the legitimacy of the probe. The first round of the election is less than 10 weeks away. Fillon, 62, has said he would step down from the campaign should he be put under formal investigation, but his camp has also challenged the legitimacy of the inquiry. The first round of the election is less than 10 weeks away.
The favourite to win has now become centrist Emmanuel Macron, but by a very narrow margin over Fillon, who represents centre-right party Les Républicains. The favourite to win is now the centrist Emmanuel Macron, but by a very narrow margin over Fillon, who represents the centre-right Republicans.
Opinion polls suggest the far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, will win the 23 April first round but then lose to either man in a 7 May run-off of the two top scoring first-round candidates. Opinion polls suggest the far-right Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, will win the first round on 23 April but then lose to either man in a 7 May run-off of the two top scoring first-round candidates.