French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to stand trial in European Parliament money laundering case

The leader of the French far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, who is known for her pro-Russian stance, will stand trial in a case of illegal misuse of EU funds. This is reported by the BBC, UNN reports.

Details

Together with Le Pen, 26 other suspects will be tried, including current and former French lawmakers and some members of the European Parliament.

All of them are accused of paying for the work of the National Union staff with funds intended for the work of the European Parliament.

If found guilty, Le Pen could face fines and imprisonment - and possibly be declared ineligible to run for office for up to 10 years, which would hit her presidential ambitions.

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The leader of the National Rally party denies everything, and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli promised that in a court of law they would prove that there was no embezzlement. 

We are going to prove that it is possible to be an assistant to a European parliamentarian and participate in the life of the RN (National Union - ed.)

AddendumAddendum

European lawmakers are allocated funds to cover expenses, including salaries for their assistants. However, they are not allowed to use this money for their party's activities.

According to the investigation, the National Union party spent a million euros annually to pay people involved in internal party operations. The alleged scheme operated from 2004 to 2016.

The European Parliament's lawyers believe that Le Pen and her party “caused not only financial but also reputational damage to the Parliament.

Recall

In the summer, the French prosecutor's office launched a pre-trial investigation on suspicion of illegal financing of Marine Le Pen's presidential campaign in 2022.