French prosecutors are investigating president Emmanuel Macron’s chief of staff Alexis Kohler over his previous links to container line MSC.
The country's financial prosecutor, the Parquet National Financier, said on Monday it opened the probe following media reports that alleged Kohler, while employed by the previous government, had worked on files of interest to MSC before becoming its CFO in 2016, Bloomberg reported.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by MSC, which has been contacted for comment.
Kohler had been economy minister in Francois Hollande’s government, as well as involved with France’s investment arm, the Agence des Participations de l’Etat.
"Unfounded allegations"
The probe will centre on whether rules surrounding the way leave is given to public officials were upheld properly, prosecutors said in an emailed statement.
Macron’s office said the allegations about Kohler are unfounded, according to a statement made to the AFP news agency.
It added that the allegations, which came after anti-corruption association Anticor lodged a complaint, were based on news stories containing "several serious factual mistakes."
The statement said Kohler “systematically stayed away from any decision linked to this company.”
Kohler, 45, would “communicate to prosecutors all documents proving his respect of the law during his professional life”, it added.
“Mr Kohler would like to point out that he has always kept his superiors informed of the personal links he had with MSC,” it said.
“As a result, he has systematically been removed from all deliberation and all decisions relating to this enterprise.”
Many media reports said Kohler’s mother is a cousin of Rafaela Aponte, whose husband Gianlugi Aponte founded MSC.
After a preliminary investigation, the prosecutor may decide to drop the case or open an official inquiry.
