French investigators have initiated a legal investigation into the salary of Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Olympics organizing committee, a source familiar with the matter informed AFP on Tuesday.
The investigation, led by magistrates specialized in financial crimes, commenced “last week” and will scrutinize the payment structure of Estanguet in his role as chief executive of the organizing committee, the source disclosed on the condition of anonymity.
Estanguet’s annual pre-tax salary is reported to be 270,000 euros ($290,000), with potential bonuses of up to 20 percent, based on the latest publicly available figures.
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According to an investigative report published last October by the newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, Estanguet employs his personal company to invoice the organizing committee on a monthly basis instead of receiving a salary directly.
This setup is purportedly aimed at circumventing a salary cap imposed on organizations with similar charitable status as the organizing committee.
The revelation of the legal probe by magistrates comes at an inopportune time for Estanguet, who is currently concentrating on the preparations for the July 26-August 11 Games.
Despite being a triple gold medalist Olympic canoeist and having been spared legal troubles in the past, Estanguet now faces scrutiny as part of this investigation, adding a layer of embarrassment to the Paris organizing committee.
Instances of corruption have plagued the Olympics previously, involving controversies over the awarding of Games and lucrative contracts related to construction and services associated with the event.
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