"The prosecution also sought a four-year prison term with three years suspended and a €100,000 ($118,000) fine for the figurehead leader of the National Rally (RN) party, which has been riding high in the opinion polls. Le Pen had hoped her appeal against her ban over a fake jobs scam at the European parliament -- an accusation the 57-year-old has denied -- would clear the way for her to run in the election after Emmanuel Macron stands down."
"But during closing arguments lasting nearly six hours, attorney general Stephane Madoz-Blanchet told the court that "Marine Le Pen was the instigator, following in her father's footsteps, of a system that enabled the party to embezzle €1.4 million". The first trial found Le Pen, along with 24 former European lawmakers, assistants and accountants as well as the party itself, guilty of operating a "system" from 2004 to 2016 using European parliament funds to employ RN staff in France."
French prosecutors asked an appeals court to uphold a five-year ban preventing Marine Le Pen from holding public office over alleged misuse of European Parliament funds. They also sought a four-year prison term with three years suspended and a €100,000 fine. Prosecutors said Le Pen was the instigator of a system that enabled the National Rally to embezzle €1.4 million. A lower court convicted Le Pen, 24 former MEPs and the party of operating a system from 2004 to 2016 using European parliament funds to employ RN staff in France. Le Pen denies wrongdoing, calls actions good faith, and is appealing; a verdict in the appeal is expected within months.
Read at The Local France
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