French presidential frontrunner Fillon says report over his wife's fake job "stink bomb"

Francois Fillon, polls' favorite to win France's upcoming presidential election, on Wednesday said a newspaper report over his wife's so-called fake job is part of "stink bomb" campaign against him.

"I see the stink bomb season has started," Fillon was quoted as saying by local media during a campaign visit to Bordeaux, southwestern France.

"I would like to say that I am outraged by the contempt and misogyny in this article," Fillon said.

The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported on Wednesday that Penelope Fillon had been paid 600,000 euros (644,400 U.S. dollars ) for her job as a parliamentary assistant to her husband and for work at a cultural journal.

However, there was no evidence showed she had really worked, the report added.

Following the report, French financial prosecutors said they had opened a preliminary inquiry into the possible "misuse of public funds" and "misappropriation of assets" relating to the employment of Fillon's wife.

Under French law, lawmakers can hire family members that should be genuinely employed.

On November 2016, Fillon won the center-right Republicans party's primary run-off to represent the biggest opposition party in the 2017 French presidential race.

Latest opinion surveys showed the 62-year-old former prime minister would be more likely to face, and win over the far-rightist Marine Le Pen and would possibly meet independent centrist Emmanuel Macron in run-off scheduled for May 7. Endit