French investigators raided the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics organizing committee Tuesday due to multiple probes into the organization’s corruption.
According to the Chicago Tribune, two separate investigations that had not previously been made known to the public led authorities to raid the office as well as those of multiple companies and consultants working with the committee.
“Paris 2024 is cooperating fully with the investigators to facilitate their investigations,” the committee has told the media.
Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi echoed that sentiment as he met with the media in a press conference from the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday.
“In a situation like this, there is really only one attitude we can apply, and that is the one that was communicated by Paris 2024,” Dubi said. “Transparency and cooperation are the two watchwords…When the organizing committee commits to following certain principles, there is only one thing we can do, and that is to wait for the result of this inquiry, which will be launched.”
“This is ongoing,” he added. “No comments to be made at this stage, but again, reassurance provided by Paris that the only attitude that one has to have in such circumstances is full cooperation and transparency was assured by Paris 2024.”
The first probe was launched in 2017 and involved investigating “suspected embezzlement of public funds and favoritism” and concerns about an undisclosed contract.
The French Anticorruption Agency (AFA) launched the second probe in 2022 and is investigating conflicts of interest and favoritism in multiple contracts between the organizing committee and the company in charge of Olympic facilities.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are now the third Summer Games in a row tainted by corruption investigations. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2021 Games in Tokyo were both subject to vote-buying charges, which resulted in the removal of several members from the IOC.
French sporting organizations have seen several resignations amid investigations in recent months. A month ago, the president of the French Olympic Committee resigned due to significant differences between organizing members that were affecting the progress made toward producing the Games.
In February, the president of the French soccer federation resigned after an audit condemned his behavior and management style, and French Rugby president Bernard Laporte resigned just a month earlier due to corruption charges and “illegally acquiring assets.”
The Paris Summer Olympics will run from July 26 through August 11 next year.
