French far-right politician Le Pen accused of embezzling EU funds

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) – The Paris prosecutor's office recommended on Friday that far-right politician Marine Le Pen and her other associates stand trial for alleged embezzlement of EU funds to fund her National Rally party's activities.

In a response to Anadolu, prosecutors said they had requested to file a lawsuit against several MPs as part of an investigation carried out in the European Parliament into the "fake jobs" inquiry opened in 2015.

The lawsuit will be filed against Le Pen and 11 European Parliament deputies from the National Rally, then National Front party, including her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, on grounds that they misused EU funds and a cover-up wrongdoing.

The charges carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison, €1 million ($1.06 million), and a fine of up to twice the amount allegedly embezzled.