Paris 2024 Olympics headquarters raided in corruption investigation

The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee and those of its infrastructure partner were searched by police on Tuesday.

The search is part of investigations into alleged embezzlement of public funds and favouritism, prosecutors said.

The national financial prosecutor's office (PNF) said the Paris 2024 headquarters were raided amid a preliminary investigation launched in 2017 into contracts made by the Summer Games' organising committee.

The headquarters of SOLIDEO, the public body responsible for delivering Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure, were also being searched amid a preliminary investigation dating back to 2022, following an audit by the French Anti-Corruption Agency, the PNF added.

"A search is currently under way at the headquarters of the Organising Committee," Paris 2024 said in a statement. "Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their inquiries."

Paris 2024 did not give any further details and made no further comment after the prosecutors' statement.

The Paris 2024 Olympics, which organising committee president Tony Estanguet has vowed will be "beyond reproach", will be held from 26 July - 11 August with the Paralympic Games taking place from 28 August – 6 September.

The searches coincided with the start of a two-day International Olympic Committee Executive Board on Tuesday to discuss a number of issues, including progress of Paris 2024 Games preparations.

"We are aware that there has been a search by police of the Paris 2024 headquarters today," an IOC spokesperson said. "We have been informed by Paris 2024 that they are cooperating fully with the authorities in this matter."

The total budget of the Games has soared to €8.8 billion from an initial assessment of