French police raided the headquarters of the Paris Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games (Cojo) on June 20 in a major corruption probe, Euronews reports.
The raid comes just over a year before the highly anticipated sporting event is scheduled to commence. The public prosecutor's office commented that the searches were conducted as part of two preliminary investigations launched in 2017 and 2022, focusing on allegations of embezzlement of public funds and favoritism.
A spokesperson for Paris 2024 acknowledged the ongoing police search, stating that the organizing committee is cooperating with the investigation.
"A police search is currently underway at the headquarters of the Organising Committee. Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their investigations," the spokesperson confirmed.
The headquarters, located in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, was targeted in connection with contracts related to the organization of the Olympic Games.
In addition to the raid on Cojo's headquarters, authorities also conducted searches at Solideo, the company responsible for constructing the Olympic infrastructure, as disclosed by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office.
The investigations were carried out by France's Central Office for Combating Corruption and Financial and Tax Offences, along with the BRDE, the financial brigade of the Paris judicial police.
This recent development follows two reports released in April 2021 by the French anti-corruption agency, AFA, which shed light on potential “probity breaches” and “conflicts of interest” within the organization of the Olympic Games. The reports emphasized the risks associated with incomplete and imprecise procurement procedures and highlighted situations that could potentially lead to uncontrolled conflicts of interest.
These allegations of corruption and misconduct have tarnished the image of the "exemplary" Olympic Games that the head of the Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet, aspired to achieve. The investigations will now delve further into the allegations, aiming to uncover any wrongdoing and ensure accountability within the organization responsible for hosting one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.
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