Police search medical insurance group in link with Macron’s minister corruption charges: report

PARIS, June 6 (Xinhua) — French investigators raided headquarter of a medical insurance group in western France as part of an inquiry into allegedly corruption charges against Gerard Ferrand, minister for territorial planning, a regional newspaper reported Tuesday.

Last Thursday, police searched offices of Mutuelle de Bretagne that Ferrand has managed for the 1998-2012 period and seized documents to seek for evidence on suspected financial dealings of the minister, Le Telegramme reported.

Ferrand and other individuals involved in the affair would be questioned this week, it added.

The raid came after public prosecutor in Brest opened on June 1 a preliminary inquiry into Ferrand’s management of the insurance group.

Earlier press reports claimed that Ferrand struck rental deal with a company owned by his partner.

Previously a Socialist, Ferrand was the first politician who quit the political mainstream to support President Emmanuel Macron’s bid, before becoming the head of his presidential campaign.

The corruption charges linked with one of his ministers, is likely to taint Macron’s plan for new anti-graft legislation with which he wants to impose new ethics in public life after fraud scandals overshadowed France’s 2017 presidency campaign.