The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics organizing committee and those of its infrastructure partner have been searched by French police as part of investigations into alleged embezzlement of public funds and favoritism, prosecutors say.
The national financial prosecutor’s office (PNF) said the Paris 2024 headquarters was raided on Tuesday after a preliminary investigation was launched in 2017 into contracts made by the Summer Games organizing committee.
A PNF spokesman said the investigations concerned “illegal conflict of interest, misuse of public funds and favouritism”.
Paris 2024 confirmed in a statement that a search was taking place at the headquarters of the organizing committee.
“Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their inquiries,” it said. It did not give any details and made no further comment after the prosecutors’ statement.
The searches coincided with the start of a two-day International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting on Tuesday to discuss a number of issues, including progress of Paris 2024 Games preparations.