French investigators are examining allegations of embezzlement involving presidential contender Édouard Philippe over the award of a digital hub contract in Le Havre, where he is mayor, prosecutors said.
Philippe, 55, a centrist former prime minister and leader of the Horizons party, denied the accusations. Polls have suggested he could be a strong contender in next year’s election to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
His team said he had taken note of the probe and would “answer the questions put to him by the judiciary as he has always done in a very serene manner.”
A former senior local government official accused Philippe of possible misconduct over the 2020 decision to award management of a digital hub in Le Havre to an association led by one of his deputies.
The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday that an investigation into suspected embezzlement of public funds, favoritism, unlawful taking of interest, and extortion was ordered earlier this month.
According to the complaint, the investigating magistrate will assess whether there was an arrangement between Philippe and his deputy involving “political, financial and relational support in return for managing” the digital hub.
France’s rights ombudswoman last year granted whistleblower status to the civil servant who filed the complaint, a designation Philippe rejected. The former official said her 2020-2023 contract was not renewed and that she was bullied after raising the allegations.
An association called LH French Tech received the contract in July 2020 after being the only bidder. Under the agreement, the association, created that same month and led by the deputy mayor, was to receive more than 2 million euros, or about $2.3 million, over several years to run the hub.
The former civil servant alleged a conflict of interest because the arrangement gave the mayor and his deputy “control over considerable sums” of money.
In a separate case, financial prosecutor Pascal Prache said Wednesday that another potential presidential candidate, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, was under preliminary investigation over two statuettes he allegedly received while serving as foreign minister from 2002 to 2004.
Prache said the investigation, opened Tuesday, concerned alleged “handling of embezzled public funds.” De Villepin’s team said he would be “calmly at the disposal” of investigators.
De Villepin earlier this month said he had made a “mistake” in accepting the gifts, but said there had been “no guidelines on these kinds of situations at the time.”