French presidential favourite Fillon fights scandal over wife’s work
Financial prosecutors confirm they have opened an inquiry into possible misuse of public funds and misappropriation of assets over ‘fake job’
Paris — French presidential favourite Francois Fillon is under scrutiny for the possible misuse of public funds after reports said he employed his wife in a "fake job", French financial prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday. Reports said Fillon’s wife had worked for him as a parliamentary assistant and "was well paid for doing little work". The frontrunner in the April-May election has acknowledged his wife, Penelope, had worked for him when he was a legislator, but fiercely denied the report in Le Canard Enchaine that she earned a big salary for work she never did. Financial prosecutors said they had opened an inquiry for misuse of public funds and misappropriation of assets "relating to the employment of the wife of Francois Fillon". Meanwhile, an analyst at ratings agency Moody’s warned France’s credit rating could be threatened if far-right party leader Marine le Pen reached the second round of the presidential elections in May. Dietmar Hornung gave the example of how Moody’s waite...
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