France's national fraud prosecution unit has opened an investigation for “corruption” over a French firm's security contract signed with Russian oligarch Iskander Makhmudov, and negotiated by Alexandre Benalla while the latter was a security aide at the Élysée. Mediapart first revealed details of this contract, which involves a company run by Benalla's friend Vincent Crase, back in December. In a separate development the French prime minister's head of security has resigned after claims that her flat was used to host a bail-breaching meeting between Benalla and Crase that was secretly recorded in July 2018. She denies any wrong doing. Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget and Marine Turchi report.
France's financial crimes prosecution unit the Parquet National financier (PNF) has opened an investigation for “corruption” over a security contract signed between a French company and Russian oligarch Iskander Makhmudov and negotiated from start to finish by Alexandre Benalla when he was still a security aide to President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée. The investigation is being carried out by detectives from Paris.
