Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement of European Parliament funds
National Front leader Marine Le Pen and eight other MEPs have been found guilty of embezzlement.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by BFMTV.
As part of this case, 24 members of the National Association were also charged. According to court estimates, the total damage is estimated at €2.9 million.
According to the investigation, the National Union party annually used funds provided by the European Parliament to pay salaries to employees involved in internal party activities.
The European Parliament provided this money to cover the expenses of MEPs, including the salaries of their assistants, but the money could not be used to finance the party's activities.
Le Pen denies guilt, calling the case a "political attack" aimed at ending her career.
"11 million people voted for the movement I represent. A verdict against me would mean that potentially millions of French people could be deprived of their candidate in the elections," said the leader of the French far right.
The prosecutor's office requested a sentence of two years in prison, a fine of 300,000 euros and a five-year ban on holding elected office for Le Pen. The judge has not yet passed a verdict, it is expected later today.
It is noted that these charges automatically entail Le Pen's deprivation of the right to participate in elections. According to the court, the decision comes into force today. It is not yet known how long the ban will last.
As a reminder, in 2022, the French prosecutor's office reviewed a report by the European Union Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which accused Le Pen and members of her party of misusing more than 140 thousand euros.
