Just a week ago, a trial began against the founder of the right-wing extremist party Front National (now Rassemblement National) for embezzling EU funds. Jean-Marie Le Pen was declared unfit to stand trial. But now he is threatened with trouble in another case. The EU Parliament demands that the 96-year-old repay more than 300,000 euros.
In concrete terms, it concerns allegedly false invoices from his time as a French MEP. The European Parliament had already asked Le Pen for a refund in the summer, the AFP news agency learned from informed sources on Monday. Le Pen has appealed to the General Court of the European Union, says his lawyer François Wagner.
VR glasses, fitness bracelets and wine bottles
In concrete terms, this concerns the invoicing of so-called administrative costs, which may expressly not be used for election campaign purposes. However, according to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Le Pen invoiced numerous items that could be classified as campaign funds, such as brochures, pens, ties and umbrellas. He was also reimbursed for the costs of virtual reality glasses, fitness bracelets and 129 bottles of wine.
According to its own statements, the EU Parliament has the right to demand reimbursement of amounts wrongly paid if there is no correct evidence of their use. “This does not replace a legal investigation,” the institution emphasizes.
Embezzlement of EU funds? Trial of Le Pen’s daughter
Speaking of legal investigations, the EU Parliament’s demand for reimbursement has nothing to do with the proceedings currently underway in Paris against Marine Le Pen, the daughter of the party founder. The trial, which has been running since the end of September, concerns the embezzlement of EU funds through the fictitious employment of parliamentary assistants who actually performed other functions within the party. Jean-Marie Le Pen is also charged in this case, but he was declared unfit to stand trial for health reasons.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
