LOC18:27
15:27 GMT
PARIS, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- Two members of France's extreme-right National Front party were called in Wednesday by investigators looking into allegations that the party leader, Marine Le Pen, defrauded the European Parliament of hundreds of thousands of dollars for unwarranted salaries.
Le Pen has denied any wrongdoing and is refusing to reimburse over USD 350,000 to the European Parliament after that body accused her of paying National Front staff with a budget she should have used for EP staffers.
Judicial and media sources said Wednesday that Le Pen's bodyguard, Thierry Legier, and her office manager Catherine Griset were called into financial investigators' offices for questioning outside of Paris.
Le Pen told French media that the French people would be able to recognise a "cabal" and distinguish a baseless witch-hunt and a smear from a serious investigation.
The far-right leader is currently leading polls here for the first round of the French presidential election on April 23, but polls see her being beaten in the second-round run-off on April 6.
Her main conservative rival, Francois Fillon, is also facing allegations of misuse of public funds in hiring his wife for a supposedly fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant.
Fillon's wife, and children, were paid close to USD 1.0 million over several years from public funds allocated for people who worked for him. Media here claim that Penelope Fillon did not actually do the required job as her husband's parliamentary secretary.
A preliminary enquiry is underway in the Fillon case and the conservative leader said he will step down if he charged or placed under formal investigation. (end)
jk.mt