A French judge is probing alleged “corruption and favouritism” in the ₹59,000 crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal with India, French online journal Mediapart has reported.
The probe into the inter-governmental deal signed in 2016 was formally opened on June 14, Mediapart said. It added that the probe was confirmed by the financial crimes branch of the French public prosecution services on Friday.
The French website carried a series of reports on alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal in April 2021.
The criminal investigation, according to Mediapart, will probe actions of former French president François Hollande, who was in office when the Rafale deal was inked. IT will also look into the roles of current French president Emmanuel Macron, who was at the time Hollande’s economy and finance minister, and foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was then the defence minister.