French presidential hopeful Édouard Philippe quizzed in embezzlement case

French investigators questioned former prime minister and presidential candidate Édouard Philippe on Thursday regarding allegations of embezzlement, favoritism, and harassment. The case is linked to Philippe's tenure as the mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre. Two investigating magistrates designated Philippe as an "assisted witness," a status that Le Monde English and Punch note is less serious than being placed under formal investigation.

Philippe, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2020, has rejected the accusations. His lawyer, Emmanuel Marsigny, welcomed the decision to not place him under formal investigation, telling AFP that the move confirms Philippe has done nothing wrong. According to Punch, Philippe is a candidate for the centre-right Horizons party and currently trails far-right and far-left rivals in opinion polls.

Jerome Karsenti, the lawyer for the civil servant who filed the complaint that triggered the investigation, stated he welcomed the progress of the case. Karsenti told AFP that his team would review their exchanges with the magistrates as soon as possible to understand their reasoning regarding facts they consider serious.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, New Straits Times, Le Monde English, Punch, Punch Nigeria — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.