The president of the organizing committee for the Paris Olympics, Tony Estanguet, targeted by an investigation into his emoluments, "does not decide on his remuneration or his framework", he defended himself on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Annette Kellerman swimming pool in La Courneuve.
“I trust what was decided at the time” when he took office in 2018, he assured a few journalists who came to question him.
“I learned this morning that there would be an investigation,” continued the three-time Olympic canoe champion (2000, 2004, 2012), explaining: “the system that was decided at the time was that I could not be an employee and that it was necessary to create an ad hoc structure which invoices the organizing committee every month.
The conditions of the Cojo boss's remuneration are the subject of an investigation by the national financial prosecutor's office, a source close to the matter told AFP earlier today.
This investigation was entrusted to the judicial police “last week,” said the same source.
The Cojo said it was “surprised” by the opening of this investigation, arguing that the remuneration of the former athlete “was decided and validated by the first board of directors of the organizing committee on March 2, 2018, who ruled in his absence, sovereignly and independently.”
“Since the beginning of the creation of the organizing committee, there has been a remuneration committee with independent experts, a board of directors who have positioned themselves, there are also state services, and general economic control and financier from Bercy who supervised my level of remuneration, the status of my remuneration,” explained Estanguet, aged 45.
And to conclude: “We will make ourselves available as we have done from the beginning to answer the questions that will be asked.”