French authorities have launched a probe into the Paris 2024 Olympics organizing committee and its infrastructure partner, SOLIDEO, regarding allegations of public funds misuse and favoritism. These investigations emerged following a search conducted by French police on Tuesday.
The national financial prosecutor’s office (PNF) spearheaded the raid on the Paris 2024 headquarters, the culmination of a preliminary inquiry initiated in 2017 concerning the committee’s contractual decisions. SOLIDEO’s headquarters were subjected to similar scrutiny, following an audit by the French Anti-Corruption Agency and a subsequent investigation started in 2022.
The PNF spokesperson informed Agence France-Presse that the investigations pertain to “illegal conflict of interest, misuse of public funds and favoritism.” Paris 2024 acknowledged the ongoing search at their headquarters, assuring that they are fully cooperating with investigators to aid their efforts. The revelations surfaced during a two-day International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting designed to deliberate on various matters, including the progress of the Paris 2024 Games.
Financial concerns surrounding the Games have been a point of contention, with the total budget surging to 8.8 billion euros, up from a 2017 initial estimate of 6.6 billion. The infrastructure costs alone, initially projected at 3.2 billion euros, are now anticipated to reach 4 billion euros. Still, the overall budget does not account for security expenses, which the supreme audit institution of France predicts will amount to at least 400 million euros.
The incident marks the third consecutive time a Summer Games organizer has been ensnared in investigations by anti-corruption authorities. Prior cases involved vote-buying claims related to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the Tokyo Games in 2021, which resulted in the expulsion of several International Olympic Committee members.
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