One Year Before Opening, Paris Olympic Organizing Committee Raided Over 'Corruption Allegations'

One year ahead of the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics, French police have launched an investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the Olympic organizing committee.

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According to AFP on the 20th local time, French police conducted a raid on the headquarters of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee (Cojo) located in the suburbs of Saint-Denis. Additionally, the public agency Solideo, responsible for constructing Olympic-related infrastructure, was also subject to a raid.

The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee issued a statement saying, "We are fully cooperating with investigators to facilitate the investigation."

AFP emphasized that this is the first time a raid has been conducted on the organizing committee in France. Citing sources, it reported that anti-corruption and financial crime investigators, along with the financial crime investigation unit of the Paris Police Department, carried out the raid.

An official from the French National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), speaking on condition of anonymity to AP News, said the raid is related to two preliminary investigations concerning the Paris Olympics that had not been previously publicized. According to the official, French judicial authorities began investigating since 2017, when Paris was confirmed as the host city for the 2024 Olympics, focusing on embezzlement of public funds, cronyism (favoritism based on personal relationships), and concerns regarding certain contracts signed by the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee.

Last year, additional charges emerged following an audit by French anti-corruption authorities. It was reported that numerous contracts signed by the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee and Solideo revealed issues such as conflicts of interest and cronyism.

Originally, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) planned to commend the French Olympic Organizing Committee's achievements during the ongoing IOC board meeting on the same day. However, AP News anticipates that the IOC will issue a statement regarding the raid after the meeting concludes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.