French prosecutors said Friday that they had dropped a case against one of Emmanuel Macron's closest political allies who stepped down from the president's first government in June under a cloud of suspicion, reports Digital Journal.
The prosecutor's office in the city of Brest said they would not be pursuing a case against Richard Ferrand because of a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations governing possible corruption offences.
Ferrand, a one-time socialist MP who was one of the first backers of Macron as he launched his presidential bid last year, was probed over possible abuse of his position as the head of a public health trust.
The Canard Enchaîné investigative newspaper revealed that his partner had benefited from a property deal with the trust while he was running it in 2011, but investigators determined there was no basis for prosecution.
"The justice system has investigated and the justice system has decided: I am innocent of all charges and exonerated," he told Le Figaro newspaper.
The outcome is a boost for Macron and is expected to result in Ferrand taking a more high-profile role defending the 39-year-old president at a time when he is known to be concerned about having too few experienced spokespeople.