France's financial prosecutor is likely to take further legal steps this week in its investigation into allegations of fake work by presidential candidate Francois Fillon's wife, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
The Journal de Dimanche (JDD) cited unidentified sources saying the proceedings - which would mean the prosecutor had decided against dropping the case for lack of evidence - would involve both Fillon and his British wife Penelope.
A spokeswoman for the prosecutor said no decision had been taken. "No decision has been made at this stage of the investigation and no timeframe has been agreed as of today," she said.
Fillon, speaking on television during a visit to the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, said: "I have explained myself. I won't say any more on the subject." Fillon spokesman Thierry Solere also declined to comment.
The couple's lawyer did not respond to a message requesting a response. Fillon has confirmed that his wife was paid, but has said the work was genuine.
His lawyers have questioned the legal legitimacy of the case and have asked the financial prosecutor to drop it.
Fillon, who has rallied his party behind him, is fighting to keep his campaign alive and has said he will step down if he is put under formal investigation.
Opinion polls since the scandal broke almost three weeks ago show him slipping out of the race, with voters turned off by the probe into a report by the Canard Enchaine satirical weekly that his wife was paid hundreds of thousands of euros in taxpayers' money for work she may not have done.
The polls, which before the affair saw him as favourite to win the presidency, show the 62-year-old former prime minister coming a close third in the first round on April 23, which would leave first and second placed Marine Le Pen of the National Front and centrist Emmanuel Macron to contest the May 7 second round - a runoff they show Macron winning comfortably.
According to the newspaper, there are two potential routes the prosecutor will take.
The first would be to refer the case to an investigating magistrate, whose role is to decide whether a person or people should be put under formal investigation.
Sometimes these referrals can be brought against an unnamed party, but in this case, the newspaper said, it would involve named parties.
Comments
Comments are closed.