The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics are facing two open financial investigations relating to alleged corruption and those investigations took a big turn this week as Police conducted a search of the offices associated with the Olympics organizers.
French officials revealed in a statement that the headquarters of the Organising Committee as well as the Société de Livraison des Ouvrages Olympiques – also known as SOLIDEO – were being searched by police.
“A police search is currently underway at the headquarters of the Organising Committee,” the Paris 2024 committee, COJOP, said in a statement according to ABC News. “Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their investigations.”
The searches are part of two open investigations into organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The first investigation, which was opened in 2017, is being pursued by France’s Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and Financial and Tax Offenses which is investigating “counts of illegal taking of interests, embezzlement of public funds, favoritism and concealment of favoritism targeting several contracts awarded in particular by” the organizing committee.
The second investigation – opened in 2020 – is by the Brigade for the repression of economic crime which is investigating “illegal taking of interests, favoritism and concealment of favoritism relating to several contracts awarded by the COJOP and SOLIDEO, following an inspection by the French Anti-Corruption Agency.”
It’s a major update, and it generated quite some buzz on social media.
Like we didn’t expect this to happen! 🙈#Paris2024 #Olympics https://t.co/Ff2ihcD90X
— Grant Rivers (@GrantSRivers) June 20, 2023
Corruption in sport? Surely not. https://t.co/tUKIX93lgG
— Graham Smith 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 (@GrahamSmith_) June 20, 2023
It’s the Olympics they won’t have to look far. https://t.co/aX7dmBA4fG
— Kentscheroo 🦥💨🇭🇰🇹🇼🇩🇪🇬🇧 (@KentscherooT) June 20, 2023
Nothing surprises me https://t.co/PxGX7NZZMT
— Eights💙💛🎱 (@eightclubs_) June 20, 2023
It's a biggie – central anticorruption bureau and the financial brigade of the Parisian judicial police to spend the day clearing out documents. Screengrab @BFMTV pic.twitter.com/RhHtbEwLWG
— Bernard Kasparas (@Bkasparas) June 20, 2023
Quelle surprise…
— BHTHFC (@BriHTHFC) June 20, 2023
Paris is set to host the Summer Olympic games in 2024.
[ABC News]
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