French investigators raid far-right party's office on allegations of fake job

French investigators searched the headquarters of Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National Party in Nanterre, west of Paris on Monday as part of an inquiry into alleged misuse of European fund to pay the party's staff.

The anti-immigration party confirmed in a statement that a search was made for the second time at the same offices concerning the same alleged facts.

"It is obviously a media operation whose goal is to disturb the course of the presidential campaign and to harm Marine Le Pen at the moment when her candidacy is making a major breakthrough in voting intentions," it added.

The European parliament has accused Le Pen of paying party staff working in France with the EU fund worth 340,000 euros (360,705 U.S. dollars), after she claimed they were European parliamentary assistants.

In December 2016, French prosecutor opened an investigation for breach of trust, organized fraud scams and forgery following the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) claims of fake job.

Rejected any wrongdoing, Le Pen told France Bleu radio last week, "there is absolutely nothing fictitious, no fake jobs or anything of all in this issue."

Opinion polls showed the 49-year-old lawyer was likely to win the first round of voting on April 27 but lose the run-off in May to whoever should be her opponent.

Styling herself "the candidate of people", Le Pen pledged to slash migration, sent homes all illegal migrants and impose taxes on the job contacts of foreigners.

If winning the election, she claimed that she would renegotiate the European Union treaty, restore internal borders and the French currency.

In 2012, Le Pen came third in the presidential race but had made the first round surprise with an unexpected high vote.

About 17.9 percent of 44.6 million French voters had cast their ballots for an anti-immigration policy and the abandon of the euro currency. Endit