France's Marine Le Pen charged over funding scandal

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been placed under formal investigation over an alleged European parliament funding scandal.

The allegations were passed to French investigators who have opened a case.

The parliament suspects some €5m (£4m; $5.4m) went to assistants of Ms Le Pen's National Front (FN) who were not working for MEPs but were actually engaged in FN party work in France.
...
The alleged fraudulent payments - from 2012 onwards - concern her and several other FN MEPs.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40461551

[nycbos]

1. So has she been "charged"?

That is what the headline says.

But the text of the article says she is under "formal investigation."

There is a big different between charging someone for alleged criminal activity and investigating the activity. Charging someone suggests the investigators of confidant they could get a conviction.


To be clear I know she is a far right wing Nazi sympathizer. Her father was a holocaust denier.

My point is the article should be clearer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. In France, "formal investigation" is pretty serious

eg

"A man believed to be an accomplice of the gunman who killed a police officer on the Champs-Élysées in April has been remanded in custody and placed under formal investigation, a judicial source said on Saturday.

The suspect's DNA was found on the weapon used by the shooter, identified as Karim Cheurfi, who opened fire on a police vehicle on the famous Paris avenue, killing one officer and injuring two others before being shot dead."

http://www.france24.com/en/20170520-suspect-under-formal-investigation-links-champs-elysees-police-shooting

[nycbos]

3. Understood.

But it is seems to be short of a what ever the French equivalent of an indictment is. I know they have a civil law system and we and many other English speaking countries have common law system,.

My only point is the headline could have been better.

[SunSeeker]

4. She's lapped up dirty Putin money as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39478066

[iluvtennis]

5. Guess right winger always involved in some corruption. No moral compass

[nikibatts]

6. Trump's fav EU leader.

[guillaumeb]

7. Tant mieux.

Pauvre petite escroc!!

[suffragette]

8. ...

[sandensea]

10. C'est drole, non?

The word 'con' in French, as you know, doesn't mean what it means in English - but in Marine's case, they seem perfectly interchangeable.

[guillaumeb]

11. D'accord.

Drole et juste.

[sandensea]

12. Eh, bien. L'histoire se repete.

D'abord comme une tragédie,



après comme une farce.

[sandensea]

9. Le Pen? Le Pew!

Quelle pagaille!

[Hieronymus]

13. Good