No legal relief as French presedential candidates face probes

Paris: France's presidential frontrunners Francois Fillon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen can expect no let-up in legal investigations targeting them ahead of elections two months away, the justice minister said today.

The independence and neutrality of the justice system is under scrutiny ahead of a two-stage presidential election in April and May amid several high-profile probes into Fillon and Le Pen.

Both are accused of misusing public money by using fake parliamentary aides, while Le Pen faces a separate investigation into the funding of election campaigns in 2014 and 2015.

They deny wrongdoing and have sought to portray the investigations as politically motivated, saying they should be delayed or abandoned altogether.

"Imagine that during the presidential campaign you can't investigate?" Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

"There is no law allowing a suspension like that. What would be the reason? In the name of what exception? In my opinion, nothing could justify it."

He said that in the past judges had sometimes taken into account the electoral calendar when fixing trial dates, but that judicial investigations had never been put on ice.

Polls currently show anti-EU, anti-immigration Le Pen winning the first round of the two-stage election on April 23, with either Fillon or centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron coming second.

In a run-off vote on May 7 between the top two candidates, Le Pen would lose to both of her rivals if the vote were held today, polls show.

A peaceful demonstration against Le Pen in the western city of Nantes on Saturday afternoon degenerated into violence when groups of youths threw rocks and firebombs at police, injuring seven officers.

Shop windows were also smashed and public property was vandalised.