PARIS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- France's financial prosecutor launched an inquiry on Monday into allegations that French President Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff Alexis Kohler breached conflict of interest rules, the prosecutor's office said.
"The financial prosecutor has opened an investigation to verify whether the rules relating to the private-sector activities of public officials have been respected," the office said.
The investigation comes after press reports "described the conditions and circumstances in which Kohler held public office at the state holding agency and at the economy and finance ministry where he could have handled cases related to the Mediterranean Shipping Company," it added.
Macron's aide was accused of influence-peddling and breaking conflict of interest rules over his ties to the Mediterranean Shipping Company while he was in public office, according to a complaint filed on Monday by anti-graft group Anticor.
The French President's office, the Elysee, said the allegations were "unfounded", adding the 45-year-old chief of staff would "provide all the documents needed to show that his behavior respected the rule of law at all times."
