简体中文
French court opened a preliminary investigation against former top adviser of President Francois Hollande on allegations of conflict of interest, local media reported Tuesday.
Citing a source close to the inquiry, the local broadcaster Europe 1 reported the country's financial prosecutor opened last Friday an investigation targeting Hollande's chief adviser Aquilino Morelle who was accused of past conflict of interest linked to his work for pharmaceutical firms.
Dismissing the accusations, Morelle resigned on April 18 "to be entirely free to respond attacks."
The scandal erupted after online journal Mediapart revealed that Hollande's senior communication adviser had worked in 2007 for a Danish pharmaceutical company while he was an employee at General Inspection of Social Affairs (IGAS).
Hollande's senior communication adviser said he obtained an authorization from the public health body for outside work with firms in the drugs industry while IGAS said it did not found any permission in its archives.
