Le Pen facing jail over fake EU jobs scandal

FORMER French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen is facing up to ten years in prison after being charged over a multimillion-pound fake jobs scandal.

The National Front (FN) leader was yesterday placed under formal criminal investigation for allegedly making fraudulent payments to party staff.

Lawyers for Miss Le Pen branded the charges a ‘conspiracy’ aimed at derailing the politician’s career, after she finally won a seat in the French parliament following 24 years of attempts

The European Anti-Fraud Office says it has evidence that Miss Le Pen, who is also an MEP, appointed fake ‘parliamentary assistants’ on salaries of up to £6,000-plus a month. The 48-year-old and her party denied any wrongdoing.

Details of the alleged fraud were sent to Paris by the president of the European Parliament, who estimated total losses approaching £4million. Prosecutors are investigating a number of corruption charges, all of which carry prison sentences of up to 10 years.

An FN spokesman confirmed Miss Le Pen appeared before magistrates in Paris and placed under criminal investigation. A trial date has not been set.