National Financial Prosecutor Pascal Prache stated that a failed raid was part of an investigation related to contracts for organizing memorial ceremonies. French presidency staff informed investigators they couldn’t search the Elysée Palace due to presidential immunity, according to the statement.
Investigators were probing allegations of favoritism, corruption, influence peddling, and conflict of interest in regard to memorial ceremonies at the Panthéon in Paris, as mentioned in the prosecutor’s statement. The Panthéon mausoleum houses the remains of notable French figures, with recent additions like French-American singer Josephine Baker.
French newspaper Le Canard Enchainé, which first reported the attempted raid, indicated that investigators were scrutinizing the awarding of contracts to a company named Shortcut Events for Panthéon ceremonies, with each ceremony reportedly costing €2 million.
Reports suggest investigators are examining connections between Shortcut Events and the Centre for National Monuments, a French agency managing historical heritage.
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