Paris - The French judiciary have begun their investigation
into National Front leader Marine Le Pen over allegations that she
had illegally used EU funds to pay aides who were in fact working for
her party, legal sources said on Friday.
Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, said his client would appeal against
the charges.
The European Parliament is seeking a repayment of 340,000 euros
(380,000 dollars) of misused funds from Le Pen, who, they allege,
claimed back salaries from the European Parliament between 2009 and
2016 for two supposed aides who were actually working for her party.
Le Pen, who remains party leader despite calls for her to resign
following this year's failed presidential election campaign, has
twice denied summonses from judges and police regarding the case.
She had invoked parliamentary immunity as a member of the European
Parliament during her presidential and parliamentary campaigns but
had pledged to cooperate with the investigation once the campaigns
were over.
The French judiciary has already requested that the European
Parliament lift Le Pen's immunity.
In February, Le Pen's chief of staff Catherine Griset was charged
with breach of trust in the investigation. Le Pen has consistently
denied the allegations against herself, saying that they were the
work of her political opponents.
Bosselut told the AFP news agency that, in his opinion, the charges
contravene separation of powers.