Marine Le Pen Refuses Police Questioning

Marine Le Pen, the French presidential forerunner and President of the right wing party Le Front National, has refused on Friday to be questioned by the investigators about her alleged misuse of European Parliament funds.

The controversial politician Marine Le Pen was summoned on Wednesday 22 to the offices of the judicial police in Nanterre as part of the investigations into her use of 340,000 euros of European Parliament funds to pay campaign staffers.

Le Pen, however, stressed a in a letter on Friday that she would not answer to any police or judicial convocation until after the parliamentary elections on June 11 and 18.

Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, pointed out to the press his client’s position that justice should not disrupt an important and fundamental democratic moment in France, alluding to the presidential election.

Protected by parliamentary immunity as a Member of the European Parliament, Le Pen cannot be subjected to any coercive judicial measures.

Following a raid of FN offices on Tuesday, February 21, two former parliamentary assistants of Le Pen were placed in police custody. Her bodyguard Thierry Légier was released, while her chief of staff, Catherine Griset, was charged with accusations relating to breach of trust.

The only way for investigators to hear Le Pen in this current situation is to request waiver of her parliamentary immunity, after which she could be forced to submit to judicial questioning.

Le Pen has vigorously denied the allegations, insisting they are simply a smear campaign intended to pollute her presidential run.

Source :Morocco Wo;d News