France's former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his wife Penelope along with his former assistant Marc Joulaud have been found guilty of misappropriation of public funds, complicity and concealment as a part of "fake jobs" scandal by the Paris tribunal.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-says-national-security-law-wont-undermine-autonomy-309637" hreflang="en">Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says national security law won't undermine autonomy</a>

According to the judgement, Francois Fillon was found guilty of paying about hundreds of thousands of euros to his wife and children as well as his assistant for non-existing jobs.&nbsp;

The former French Prime Minister has been sentenced to five years in prison, three of them suspended, as well as a fine of 375,000 euros ($423,000) and a ten -year ban on running for elections.

Fillon's Welsh wife Penelope has been sentenced to three years of prison and a fine of 375,000 euros.&nbsp;

Francois Fillion served as the prime minister under President Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012. In January 2017, Fillon was one of the favourites to become France's next leader but a scandal was brought up by French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchainé. This scandal was known as "Penelopegate" which alleged that Fillon had paid his wife and children out of public funds to work as his assistants.

According to the report, &nbsp;his wife and two of his adult children earned nearly 1 million euros as parliamentary assistants for the alleged fake jobs.

Though Fillon rejected these claims and said it is not illegal and is 'error in judgement'.&nbsp;

Due to the scandal, Fillon's campaign was derailed paving the way for Emmanuel Macron to French Presidency.&nbsp;

France's former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his wife Penelope along with his former assistant Marc Joulaud have been found guilty of misappropriation of public funds, complicity and concealment as a part of "fake jobs" scandal by the Paris tribunal.

France's former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his wife Penelope along with his former assistant Marc Joulaud have been found guilty of misappropriation of public funds, complicity and concealment as a part of "fake jobs" scandal by the Paris tribunal. Also read: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says national security law won't undermine autonomy According to the judgement, Francois Fillon was found guilty of paying about hundreds of thousands of euros to his wife and children as well as his assistant for non-existing jobs. The former French Prime Minister has been sentenced to five years in prison, three of them suspended, as well as a fine of 375,000 euros ($423,000) and a ten -year ban on running for elections. Fillon's Welsh wife Penelope has been sentenced to three years of prison and a fine of 375,000 euros. Francois Fillion served as the prime minister under President Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012. In January 2017, Fillon was one of the favourites to become France's next leader but a scandal was brought up by French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchainé. This scandal was known as "Penelopegate" which alleged that Fillon had paid his wife and children out of public funds to work as his assistants. According to the report, his wife and two of his adult children earned nearly 1 million euros as parliamentary assistants for the alleged fake jobs. Though Fillon rejected these claims and said it is not illegal and is 'error in judgement'. Due to the scandal, Fillon's campaign was derailed paving the way for Emmanuel Macron to French Presidency.

Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon found guilty for 'Penelopegate scandal'

&nbsp;French magistrates placed the wife of conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon under formal investigation on Tuesday over allegations she was paid hundreds of thousands of euros of public funds for work she did not do, a judicial source said.

British-born Penelope Fillon will be investigated on suspicion of complicity in misappropriating public funds, the source said.

The decision, which comes two weeks after Fillon himself was placed under formal investigation in the same case, is another blow to his faltering presidential campaign.

(Reuters)

Penelope Fillon will be investigated on suspicion of complicity in misappropriating public funds

French magistrates placed the wife of conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon under formal investigation on Tuesday over allegations she was paid hundreds of thousands of euros of public funds for work she did not do, a judicial source said. British-born Penelope Fillon will be investigated on suspicion of complicity in misappropriating public funds, the source said. The decision, which comes two weeks after Fillon himself was placed under formal investigation in the same case, is another blow to his faltering presidential campaign. (Reuters)

French presidential candidate Fillon's wife under formal investigation

Beleaguered France&#39;s Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign.

Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday:&nbsp;&quot;I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic.&quot;

Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly &quot;fake job&quot; scandal.

Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job.

But Juppe&#39;s withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon&#39;s status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs.

Juppe&#39;s statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him.

&quot;It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses,&quot; he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text.

Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now.&nbsp;

Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;to step aside and name a replacement.

&quot;He&#39;s got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election,&quot; one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

But later, the party said it would support Fillon&#39;s presidential campaign.

&quot;The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon,&quot; Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to &quot;evaluate&quot; the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon&#39;s campaign.

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump&#39;s victory and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Alan Juppe, who was likely to replace scandal-hit Fillon, said contesting the election made no sense due to paucity of time

Beleaguered France's Republicans candidate Francois Fillon received a shot in the arm after his likely replacement ruled himself out, citing that the elections were merely weeks away for him to mobilise an election campaign. Former prime minister Alain Juppe, who is popular with the voters, said Monday: "I confirm for a final time that I will not be a candidate to be president of the republic." Francois Fillon was once the favourite to be the next president but his campaign got embroiled in the ugly "fake job" scandal. Fillon has been accused of paying thousands of euros to his British-born wife Penelope for performing a fake parliamentary job. But Juppe's withdrawal from a potential presidential campaign has almost calcified Fillon's status as the Republicans torchbearer in the upcoming French runoffs. Juppe's statement emboldened Fillon to ask his party to rally around him. "It is time for everybody to get their act together and come back to their senses," he told senior party members gathered to discuss the crisis, according to a text. Fillon has been excoriated by his party members and some 250 insiders had called for his head as chances of even progressing to the second round of the presidential bid are bleak now. Party leaders met for crisis talks on Monday evening, with allies of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy still pushing Fillon to step aside and name a replacement. "He's got some breathing space but he needs to ask himself if he can still win the presidential election," one lawmaker known to be close to Sarkozy told AFP on condition of anonymity. But later, the party said it would support Fillon's presidential campaign. "The political committee, after a wide-ranging exchange, unanimously renewed its support for Francois Fillon," Senate speaker Gerard Larcher told reporters after around 20 party seniors met to "evaluate" the crisis sparked by the fake jobs scandal clouding Fillon's campaign. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Fillon's French presidential bid gets fillip after replacement rules himself out

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting &quot;no one&quot; can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections.

Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job.

About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal.

&quot;No one today can prevent me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated.

&quot;Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate,&quot; Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15.

Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: &quot;My answer is &#39;no&#39;.&quot;

Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January.

Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm.

He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later.

(WION with inputs fom AFP)

The conservative candidate has been accused of paying his wife thousands of euros to do a fake parliamentary job

Beleaguered French conservative candidate Francois Fillon struck a defiant note on Suday, insisting "no one" can stop him from running the upcoming presidential elections. Fillon has faced intense criticism from within his party after allegations that he paid his wife thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job. About 250 party insiders have called for his head, suggesting he should step down as the party torchbearer due to the damage done to his reputation following the outbreak of the scandal. "No one today can prevent me being a candidate," Fillon said in a TV interview in which he again said a probe into allegations he gave his wife a highly-paid fake parliamentary job was politically motivated. "Of course it is aimed at stopping me being a candidate," Fillon said of the probe in which he is to be charged on March 15. Asked if he would bow to calls from within his own Republicans party to withdraw, Fillon said: "My answer is 'no'." Fillon was the frontrunner in the race until the fake jobs allegations were made in mid-January. Besides Fillon stood his wife Penelope, the person in the eye of the storm. He has since lost support and polls currently show he risks being knocked out in the first round on April 23 with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron progressing to the runoff two weeks later. (WION with inputs fom AFP)

French elections: Fillon vows to fight on in defiance rally

French conservative candidate Francois Fillon told supporters Saturday their opponents were trying to &quot;intimidate&quot; them as he battles to keep his presidential bid afloat.

Marking his 63rd birthday, Fillon was trying to turn the page on a nightmare week that saw scores of defections from his camp after he admitted he is to face criminal charges over allegations he gave his family fake parliamentary jobs.

With some members of his own rightwing Republicans party urging him to drop out of the campaign, Fillon told 1,500 supporters he had had &quot;better&quot; birthdays.

Without referring directly to his legal woes, he said at a campaign event north of Paris: &quot;They are trying to intimidate you. They are attacking me. But... what they are trying to kill is a desire for change.&quot;

Fillon has denied wrongdoing and has claimed that the fake jobs charges are politically motivated, even hinting he believes the ruling Socialist government is behind the investigation.

As he was giving his speech, his Republicans party announced that its political decision-making body would meet Monday evening -- a day earlier than planned -- &quot;to evaluate the situation&quot;.

It also emerged that police raided the Fillons&#39; country manor house near the northwestern town of Le Mans on Friday, looking for evidence. The couple&#39;s Paris apartment was searched on Thursday.

Fillon will attempt to regain the initiative by holding a major rally on Sunday near the Eiffel Tower.

The danger for the right is that he could be eliminated in the first round of the two-stage contest on April 23.

Opinion polls currently show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron would progress to contest the runoff on May 7.

&#39;Ship leaving the rat&#39;&nbsp;

Fillon was the frontrunner until mid-January when the Canard Enchaine newspaper alleged he paid his British-born wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as parliamentary assistants or advisors.

French lawmakers are allowed to employ family members, but investigators are searching for evidence of what work Fillon&#39;s wife did.

He revealed Wednesday he is to meet investigating magistrates to be charged on March 15, sparking a series of defections from his team.

His foreign affairs point man and his campaign spokesman deserted him and the leader of the small centrist UDI party said it was withdrawing its backing.

The left-leaning Liberation newspaper wrote: &quot;It is no longer the rats leaving a sinking ship, but the ship leaving the rat.&quot;

With just seven weeks to go before voting begins, the entourage of 71-year-old former premier Alain Juppe has said he is prepared to take over.

But high-profile Fillon supporters from the business world rallied round him.

Henri de Castries, a former CEO of the Axa insurance giant, said Fillon should remain in the race because he had &quot;legitimacy&quot; from his clear victory over Juppe in November&#39;s nominating contest.

Despite a forecast of heavy rain, Fillon&#39;s campaign is hoping for a massive turnout on Sunday, helped by the organising prowess of groups such as Manif Pour Tous, which staged a huge protest against gay marriage in October.

Fillon is a devout Catholic and his surprise win in the Republicans&#39; primary was widely attributed to his conservative social views.

Juppe, his possible replacement, is a former premier who was given a suspended jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal.

He is more centrist than Fillon and believes France needs to regain its &quot;happiness&quot;.

Juppe has said he would only replace Fillon if the candidate makes the decision to pull out himself, &quot;and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him&quot;, a source in Juppe&#39;s camp told AFP.

Distraction from issues&nbsp;

One poll on Friday showed Juppe would vault into the lead if he stood.

Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, narrowly ahead of Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting survey of 943 people.

Le Pen, 48, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has sought to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the British vote to leave the European Union.

Polls currently show however that the leader National Front (FN) chief will be beaten in the second round by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate.

(AFP)

Several staffers of his campaign team have deserted him after he revealed he would be probed for giving fake parliamentary jobs to his kin

French conservative candidate Francois Fillon told supporters Saturday their opponents were trying to "intimidate" them as he battles to keep his presidential bid afloat. Marking his 63rd birthday, Fillon was trying to turn the page on a nightmare week that saw scores of defections from his camp after he admitted he is to face criminal charges over allegations he gave his family fake parliamentary jobs. With some members of his own rightwing Republicans party urging him to drop out of the campaign, Fillon told 1,500 supporters he had had "better" birthdays. Without referring directly to his legal woes, he said at a campaign event north of Paris: "They are trying to intimidate you. They are attacking me. But... what they are trying to kill is a desire for change." Fillon has denied wrongdoing and has claimed that the fake jobs charges are politically motivated, even hinting he believes the ruling Socialist government is behind the investigation. As he was giving his speech, his Republicans party announced that its political decision-making body would meet Monday evening -- a day earlier than planned -- "to evaluate the situation". It also emerged that police raided the Fillons' country manor house near the northwestern town of Le Mans on Friday, looking for evidence. The couple's Paris apartment was searched on Thursday. Fillon will attempt to regain the initiative by holding a major rally on Sunday near the Eiffel Tower. The danger for the right is that he could be eliminated in the first round of the two-stage contest on April 23. Opinion polls currently show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron would progress to contest the runoff on May 7. 'Ship leaving the rat' Fillon was the frontrunner until mid-January when the Canard Enchaine newspaper alleged he paid his British-born wife Penelope and two of their children nearly 900,000 euros ($950,000) as parliamentary assistants or advisors. French lawmakers are allowed to employ family members, but investigators are searching for evidence of what work Fillon's wife did. He revealed Wednesday he is to meet investigating magistrates to be charged on March 15, sparking a series of defections from his team. His foreign affairs point man and his campaign spokesman deserted him and the leader of the small centrist UDI party said it was withdrawing its backing. The left-leaning Liberation newspaper wrote: "It is no longer the rats leaving a sinking ship, but the ship leaving the rat." With just seven weeks to go before voting begins, the entourage of 71-year-old former premier Alain Juppe has said he is prepared to take over. But high-profile Fillon supporters from the business world rallied round him. Henri de Castries, a former CEO of the Axa insurance giant, said Fillon should remain in the race because he had "legitimacy" from his clear victory over Juppe in November's nominating contest. Despite a forecast of heavy rain, Fillon's campaign is hoping for a massive turnout on Sunday, helped by the organising prowess of groups such as Manif Pour Tous, which staged a huge protest against gay marriage in October. Fillon is a devout Catholic and his surprise win in the Republicans' primary was widely attributed to his conservative social views. Juppe, his possible replacement, is a former premier who was given a suspended jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal. He is more centrist than Fillon and believes France needs to regain its "happiness". Juppe has said he would only replace Fillon if the candidate makes the decision to pull out himself, "and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him", a source in Juppe's camp told AFP. Distraction from issues One poll on Friday showed Juppe would vault into the lead if he stood. Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, narrowly ahead of Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting survey of 943 people. Le Pen, 48, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has sought to capitalise on the anti-establishment sentiment that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the British vote to leave the European Union. Polls currently show however that the leader National Front (FN) chief will be beaten in the second round by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate. (AFP)

Beleaguered Fillon vows to fight on amid pressure to step down

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon faced fresh setbacks to his beleaguered campaign on Friday as his spokesman stepped down and a small centrist party decided to withdraw its support.

Patrick Stefanini said his resignation will take effect from Sunday night.

Fillon is also feeling the heat from former prime minister Alain Juppe, who has announced he is ready to replace the scandal-hit presidential candidate in the upcoming runoffs.

The 71-year-old Juppe, also an ex-premier and a one-time foreign minister, was beaten by Fillon in the conservative primary in November after beginning the contest as a clear favourite.

Fillon&#39;s initial momentum evaporated after allegations of him paying his wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for a fake job came out in public.

He has also been accused of helping his children while he was in the government.

Fillon, 63, said earlier this week that he would be charged over the damning allegations.

Juppe sets conditions&nbsp;

With the March 17 deadline for the collection of signatures necessary to launch a candidacy fast approaching, a member of Juppe&#39;s entourage told AFP he was prepared to take over -- under certain conditions.

Juppe &quot;will not refuse if all the conditions are met -- Francois Fillon has to take the decision to pull out himself and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him&quot;, the unnamed source said.

The leader of the centrist UDI party said it was definitively withdrawing its support for Fillon after it suspended its backing on Wednesday.

&quot;We ask the Republicans (Fillon&#39;s party) to change candidate and if they do not, we will not be able to continue our alliance,&quot; UDI leader Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Ouest France newspaper.

The resignation of Fillon&#39;s spokesman Thierry Solere meant he joined a list of defectors who include two deputy directors, the campaign treasurer and foreign affairs point man Bruno Le Maire.

Juppe to save conservatives?&nbsp;

One opinion poll Friday showed that Juppe -- who is viewed as more centrist than Fillon -- would go straight into the lead if he took over.

Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, giving him a narrow lead over Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll of 943 people.

Since his defeat in the primary, Juppe has stayed out of the fray and ventured rarely from the southwest city of Bordeaux where he is mayor.

He has made a political comeback after being given a suspended 14-month jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal.

Fillon, whose Paris home was raided by police on Thursday, is going ahead with plans to hold a rally near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.

In an online video message urging supporters to attend, he said only he could &quot;restore France&#39;s strength&quot;.

Fillon&#39;s headline policy is a pledge to slash half a million civil servants&#39; jobs to cut public spending.

Le Pen, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has for months been forecast to reach the second round of an election influenced by the same populist themes that propelled US President&nbsp;Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to power and led to the Brexit vote in Britain.

Polls currently show however that Le Pen will be beaten in the decisive runoff on May 7 by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate.

The right&#39;s fear&nbsp;

The fear for the right is that Fillon will fail to reach the runoff.

Fillon has hit out at the justice system, claiming he was the victim of a &quot;political assassination&quot; over the fake jobs allegations that were first made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

Investigators are probing what work Fillon&#39;s wife Penelope actually performed for her pay. He insists she has &quot;always&quot; assisted him during his lengthy political career and has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

A source close to Juppe told Le Parisien newspaper on Friday that the veteran politician &quot;felt ill&quot; when he heard Fillon questioning the impartiality of judges.

Socialist President Francois Hollande also lashed out at Fillon this week, saying being a presidential candidate did not give him the right to &quot;cast suspicion on the work of the police and judges&quot;.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Fillon's spokesman quit and the leader of a small centrist party confirmed it was withdrawing its backing over an expenses scandal

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon faced fresh setbacks to his beleaguered campaign on Friday as his spokesman stepped down and a small centrist party decided to withdraw its support. Patrick Stefanini said his resignation will take effect from Sunday night. Fillon is also feeling the heat from former prime minister Alain Juppe, who has announced he is ready to replace the scandal-hit presidential candidate in the upcoming runoffs. The 71-year-old Juppe, also an ex-premier and a one-time foreign minister, was beaten by Fillon in the conservative primary in November after beginning the contest as a clear favourite. Fillon's initial momentum evaporated after allegations of him paying his wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for a fake job came out in public. He has also been accused of helping his children while he was in the government. Fillon, 63, said earlier this week that he would be charged over the damning allegations. Juppe sets conditions With the March 17 deadline for the collection of signatures necessary to launch a candidacy fast approaching, a member of Juppe's entourage told AFP he was prepared to take over -- under certain conditions. Juppe "will not refuse if all the conditions are met -- Francois Fillon has to take the decision to pull out himself and the rightwing and centre camps... have to be united behind him", the unnamed source said. The leader of the centrist UDI party said it was definitively withdrawing its support for Fillon after it suspended its backing on Wednesday. "We ask the Republicans (Fillon's party) to change candidate and if they do not, we will not be able to continue our alliance," UDI leader Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Ouest France newspaper. The resignation of Fillon's spokesman Thierry Solere meant he joined a list of defectors who include two deputy directors, the campaign treasurer and foreign affairs point man Bruno Le Maire. Juppe to save conservatives? One opinion poll Friday showed that Juppe -- who is viewed as more centrist than Fillon -- would go straight into the lead if he took over. Juppe would have 26.5 percent of votes, giving him a narrow lead over Macron on 25 percent, while Le Pen would slip to third place on 24 percent, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll of 943 people. Since his defeat in the primary, Juppe has stayed out of the fray and ventured rarely from the southwest city of Bordeaux where he is mayor. He has made a political comeback after being given a suspended 14-month jail sentence in 2004 over a party funding scandal. Fillon, whose Paris home was raided by police on Thursday, is going ahead with plans to hold a rally near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday. In an online video message urging supporters to attend, he said only he could "restore France's strength". Fillon's headline policy is a pledge to slash half a million civil servants' jobs to cut public spending. Le Pen, campaigning on an anti-immigration and anti-EU platform, has for months been forecast to reach the second round of an election influenced by the same populist themes that propelled US President Donald Trump to power and led to the Brexit vote in Britain. Polls currently show however that Le Pen will be beaten in the decisive runoff on May 7 by either the fast-rising Macron or the conservative candidate. The right's fear The fear for the right is that Fillon will fail to reach the runoff. Fillon has hit out at the justice system, claiming he was the victim of a "political assassination" over the fake jobs allegations that were first made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper. Investigators are probing what work Fillon's wife Penelope actually performed for her pay. He insists she has "always" assisted him during his lengthy political career and has strongly denied any wrongdoing. A source close to Juppe told Le Parisien newspaper on Friday that the veteran politician "felt ill" when he heard Fillon questioning the impartiality of judges. Socialist President Francois Hollande also lashed out at Fillon this week, saying being a presidential candidate did not give him the right to "cast suspicion on the work of the police and judges". (WION with inputs from AFP)

French elections: Fillon suffers setback as Juppe remains on standby

France&#39;s right-wing presidential candidate Francois Fillon apologised Monday over the fake job affair involving his wife, a controversy&nbsp;that has damaged his reputation and has crashed his ratings to an all-time low.

Fillon, who was the frontrunner for the French May 7 runoffs, sought to draw a line under the scandal, saying: &quot;It was an error, I profoundly regret it and I apologise to the French people.&quot;

Fillon found himself in the storm of a controversy when it emerged that his British-born wife Penelope was paid over 800,000 euros ($860,000) for being his parliamentary aide.

The conservative candidate had also&nbsp;used funds available to lawmakers to hire two of his children, paying them 84,000 euros ($91,000) pre-tax between 2005 and 2007.

The former prime minister, 62, said he had hired family members -- as allowed in France -- out of &quot;trust&quot; but recognised that such practises &quot;create distrust nowadays&quot;.

Although Fillon says his wife was paid to manage his local meetings when he was a lawmaker, Penelope in an interview in 2007 said&nbsp;she had &quot;never been actually his assistant or anything like that.&quot;

But the 62-year-old former prime minister rejected calls of his ouster, saying he wanted to turn a fresh page in his presidential bid.&nbsp;

&quot;From tonight, I announce here that it&#39;s a new campaign that&#39;s starting.&quot;

&quot;I am a candidate for the presidency to win it,&quot; he added.

France goes to the polls in April and May for a two-round presidential election.&nbsp;

Fillon, a devout Catholic who won the nomination of the Republicans party in November on a pledge to slash public spending, had been the frontrunner until two weeks ago.

Polls now show him possibly crashing out of the first round in April, likely leaving far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and rising star Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, to battle it out in May&#39;s runoff vote.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The conservative candidate has been accused of paying his wife over 800,000 euros for being his parliamentary aide

France's right-wing presidential candidate Francois Fillon apologised Monday over the fake job affair involving his wife, a controversy that has damaged his reputation and has crashed his ratings to an all-time low. Fillon, who was the frontrunner for the French May 7 runoffs, sought to draw a line under the scandal, saying: "It was an error, I profoundly regret it and I apologise to the French people." Fillon found himself in the storm of a controversy when it emerged that his British-born wife Penelope was paid over 800,000 euros ($860,000) for being his parliamentary aide. The conservative candidate had also used funds available to lawmakers to hire two of his children, paying them 84,000 euros ($91,000) pre-tax between 2005 and 2007. The former prime minister, 62, said he had hired family members -- as allowed in France -- out of "trust" but recognised that such practises "create distrust nowadays". Although Fillon says his wife was paid to manage his local meetings when he was a lawmaker, Penelope in an interview in 2007 said she had "never been actually his assistant or anything like that." But the 62-year-old former prime minister rejected calls of his ouster, saying he wanted to turn a fresh page in his presidential bid. "From tonight, I announce here that it's a new campaign that's starting." "I am a candidate for the presidency to win it," he added. France goes to the polls in April and May for a two-round presidential election. Fillon, a devout Catholic who won the nomination of the Republicans party in November on a pledge to slash public spending, had been the frontrunner until two weeks ago. Polls now show him possibly crashing out of the first round in April, likely leaving far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and rising star Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, to battle it out in May's runoff vote. (WION with inputs from AFP)

France's presidential candidate Fillon sorry about fake job affair

Under-fire French presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday responded to claims that his wife had been paid 500,000 euros ($540,000) for a fake job by saying she has &quot;always worked for me&quot;.

Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said British-born Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years doing tasks such as correcting his speeches.

He told TF1 television her role was &quot;perfectly clear&quot;.

&quot;My wife has always worked for me, she has always been by my side in my public life,&quot; Fillon said.

&quot;She corrected my speeches, she received a huge number of people whom I couldn&#39;t see, she represented me at demonstrations, she did press reviews for me and she passed on people&#39;s requests,&quot; Fillon said.

The national financial prosecutor has opened an investigation into the allegations, which were made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

Fillon&#39;s lawyer submitted documents Thursday to investigators to support his case.

The Canard Enchaine claims Penelope received the money between 1998 and 2012, but said it could find no one who recalled her working in the parliament building.

Polls currently show Fillon, who has campaigned as a &quot;clean candidate&quot; unsullied by the legal woes of some of his rightwing rivals, will face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the election runoff in May.

(AFP)

To suggestions that his wife was paid for a bogus job, Francois Fillon said she earned the money for correcting his speeches

Under-fire French presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday responded to claims that his wife had been paid 500,000 euros ($540,000) for a fake job by saying she has "always worked for me". Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said British-born Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years doing tasks such as correcting his speeches. He told TF1 television her role was "perfectly clear". "My wife has always worked for me, she has always been by my side in my public life," Fillon said. "She corrected my speeches, she received a huge number of people whom I couldn't see, she represented me at demonstrations, she did press reviews for me and she passed on people's requests," Fillon said. The national financial prosecutor has opened an investigation into the allegations, which were made by the Canard Enchaine newspaper. Fillon's lawyer submitted documents Thursday to investigators to support his case. The Canard Enchaine claims Penelope received the money between 1998 and 2012, but said it could find no one who recalled her working in the parliament building. Polls currently show Fillon, who has campaigned as a "clean candidate" unsullied by the legal woes of some of his rightwing rivals, will face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the election runoff in May. (AFP)

Under-attack French candidate rebuffs wife's fake job claims

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