Wife of French Republicans candidate Fillon charged with fraud

PARIS, March 29 (KUNA) -- Penelope Fillon, the wife of the Republicans conservative candidate in the upcoming French presidential election, has in turn been charged like her husband for misuse of public funds and other improper actions relative to finances, judicial and media sources said early Wednesday.
Overnight, it was announced that the wife of embattled Francois Fillon, who is now polling third among voting intentions for the first round of ballots on April 23, was placed under "formal investigation" on charges of defrauding the parliamentary payment system for remunerating employees of Deputies.
Francois Fillon, himself, was charged on several counts for similar improprieties on March 14.
It was alleged back in January by French weekly "Le Canard Enchaine" that Fillon had paid his wife a high salary over several years out of public funds to work for him when he was an elected Deputy. Penelope Fillon, aged 61, was reported to have been paid around USD 900,000 over several years and while this is excessive, it would not normally be illegal under French law. But the media claimed she didn't actually do much work and was not fully involved in her husband's mission to parliament. An judicial investigation leading to charges against Fillon was subsequently opened.
A separate investigation was also put in place concerning two of Fillon's children, who were hired to work for him when he was a Senator, but it is alleged they channeled a part of their earnings back to their father.
Several other questions regarding Fillon's finances are also under scrutiny, including failure to report a Euros 50,000 interest-free loan from a billionaire and he is being highlighted for accepting expensive gifts of watches and clothing.
Additionally, questions have been raised about consultancy fees his company received and also work done by his consulting company to facilitate contacts between a Lebanese businessman and Russian leader Vladimir Putin for a fee of USD 50,000.
Fillon staunchly denies all charges of wrongdoing and says he will be proved innocent, but the successive allegations and cries of scandal have severely damaged his campaign.
The leading Conservative, who was tipped to be the next president before the current investigations and allegations, had promised to step aside if charged but has since backtracked and says he, will fight to the end. (End) jk.gta