French prosecutors investigate Saint-Denis mayor over alleged misuse of funds

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The French National Financial Prosecutor's Office opened a preliminary investigation on 19 August into Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko regarding suspected embezzlement and the misuse of public funds during his long-term employment at the state-owned RATP transport agency. The investigation followed reports by Le Canard enchaîné and subsequent complaints by the group AC!! Anti-Corruption, which alleged that Bagayoko and other regional officials held fictitious jobs at RATP without real activity or job descriptions. Bagayoko, a member of the France Unbowed party, dismissed the accusations as slander intended to discredit him, while party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon described the allegations as a political campaign against the movement’s black officials.

Consequences

The RATP has announced it is fully cooperating with judicial authorities and providing relevant information to the investigators. If the investigation confirms the existence of an 'organised and structured system' of fictitious jobs, it could lead to broader legal scrutiny of employment practices involving elected officials at the transport agency across various political backgrounds.

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