French presidential candidate Le Pen summoned by judges over allegations of misuse of EU funds

Paris [France], Mar. 4 (ANI): French far-right leader and a prospective presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, has been summoned by judges over allegations of misusing European Union funds. The meeting will take place on March 10. However, Le Pen's lawyer informed that she would not meet the judges before the end of the presidential campaign. This comes a day after the European Parliament lifted Le Pen's EU parliamentary immunity from prosecution over a separate case for posting graphic photos of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) victims on Twitter in December 2015. Le Pen got into a controversy last month after several members of her staff were accused of being paid for nonexistent jobs at the European Parliament, reports CNN. Le Pen's chief of staff, Catherine Griset, has been charged as part of investigations into the allegations. Officials are also investigating Le Pen's bodyguard, Thierry Legier, in this matter. According to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Le Pen had primarily accepted that they had been paid while not working. However, Le Pen later denied saying this. (ANI)