Two senior aides to Marine Le Pen have been taken into police custody as part of the fraud inquiry that could see the far-right French presidential candidate jailed for up to 10 years, according to The Sun.
Thierry Legier, who is Ms Le Pen`s bodyguard, and Catherine Griset, her chief of staff, were escorted to the judicial police station in Nanterre, the Paris suburb, this morning, The Sun reports.
A raid was also carried out at the home of Mr Legier, Ms Le Pen`s 51-year-old bodyguard who is nicknamed ”The Gorilla.”
All of the suspects – including one of the most vocal ”Putin`s friends” Le Pen – now face imminent criminal charges.
Lawyers for Ms Le Pen immediately branded the arrests a media and judicial ”conspiracy” aimed at derailing the far-right politician`s campaign to become France`s first ever female head of state in May.
But the European Anti-Fraud Office says it has compelling evidence that Ms Le Pen, who is an MEP, made Mr Legier her fake ”parliamentary assistant,” having paid him a total of EUR 41,500, according to Daily Mail.
See also: French presidential candidate Le Pen states that Russian annexation of Crimea is not illegal
