French financial prosecutors are conducting searches at the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee and the Games’ venue and infrastructure authority as they investigate allegations of tender violations and favoritism 13 months before the event begins.
The searches stem from two probes dating from 2017 and 2022, the financial prosecutor’s office said.
“A police search is currently underway at the headquarters of the organising committee,” a spokesperson for the office said. “Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their investigations.”
The International Olympic Committee is counting on a smooth buildup to the Paris Games, which will be held from July 26 to Aug. 11, to build public enthusiasm after the Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed by a year because of the pandemic and then held without spectators.
The IOC oversees the selection of the host cities and has already awarded the 2028 Games to Los Angeles and the 2032 edition to Brisbane, which was the first host city chosen under new rules designed to encourage more dialog between the IOC and bidders. Once selected, the tendering of contracts and delivery of the games is up to the individual organizing committee.
The IOC, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, said in a statement that it’s aware of the police search and has been informed that Paris 2024 is cooperating with authorities.
The 2017 investigation is related to alleged conflicts of interest, embezzlement of public funds and favoritism stemming from a contract awarded by the Paris Olympic Committee, according to prosecutors.
The 2022 probe, prompted by an inspection by the French anti-corruption authority, is related to alleged conflicts of interest and favoritism from several tenders from the Paris Olympic Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority (Solideo), which oversees venues and infrastructure.
Agence France-Presse and Le Parisien reported the news earlier.
(Updates with response from IOC in the fifth paragraph)
