New Searches Of 2024 Paris Olympics Organising Committee And Event Agencies Offices Conducted

THE offices of the organising committee for the 2024 Olympics along with the event agencies responsible for the opening ceremonies were searched on Wednesday, October 18.

As part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the national financial prosecutor’s office, searches took place in premises belonging to the COJO and the companies Double 2, Ubibene, Obo and Paname 24, according to AFP, citing a source close to the matter, reported lequipe.fr.

Financial investigators from Oclciff (the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and Financial and Tax Offences) were involved in the action that took place early yesterday morning.

They were allegedly investigating the possible illegal taking of interest, favouritism and concealment, concerning several markets linked to the 2024 Paris Olympics and public contract awards allocated by the PNF.

Paname 24 was reportedly formed when five companies amalgamated, including Double 2, Obo and Ubibene. The latter was itself founded and chaired by Thierry Reboul. He then sold his shares when he joined the Paris 2024 organisation as the director of ceremonies.

Two previous investigations had already been carried out

Two preliminary investigations had already been carried out by Oclciff, initiated by the Prosecutor’s Office in 2017. The first of these concerned: ‘Counts of illegal taking of interests, misappropriation of public funds, favouritism and concealment of favouritism aimed at a market passed through the COJOP’.

Opened in 2022, a second investigation was entrusted to the financial brigade of the Paris judicial police (BRDE). This time it was related to concerns about: ‘counts of illegal taking of interests, favouritism and concealment of favouritism targeting a contract concluded by COJOP’.

As a result, the offices of the organising committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as the delivery company for the Olympic works in Saint-Denis were raided on June 20.

In a statement released following the searches, the PNF said: ‘The PNF presented itself at its headquarters on Wednesday October 18 and provided all the information requested. Paris 2024 is fully collaborating with the investigation as it has always done’.