The elected Saint-Denis is prosecuted mainly for "illicit loan of labor, forgery, swindle and attempted fraud," said the sources, confirming information from Mediapart.

Bastien Lachaud, employee as treasurer of the People's Era, should have been, like three other employees, including the deputy Mathilde Panot, paid by the candidate's campaign or the party, believes the investigating judge in charge of the file .

Ms. Panot and Mr. Lachaud, who have since become members of Parliament, were at the same time members of the campaign team.

Judicial information has been open to the Paris court since November 2018 on the use of public funds during the last campaign of the leader of the Insoumis.

"To indict an employee of a structure for illicit loan of labor, which is equivalent to saying that the employee would have lent himself, it is totally absurd", reacted to AFP Me Mathieu Croizet, lawyer for Mr. Lachaud.

"The false accusation is only a wrapping of this offense which does not exist", he added, announcing soon to file a request to cancel the proceedings.

LFI deputy Mathilde Panot at the National Assembly, November 2, 2021 in Paris STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP

In the spring, the Ere du Peuple association, a logistics provider in the service of candidate Mélenchon, and his financial agent, Marie-Pierre Oprandi, were also indicted, but only for "illicit loan of labor" .

The examining magistrate placed the association and Ms. Oprandi, also prosecuted for "use of forgery", under the more favorable status of assisted witness for the main offenses of this investigation relating to suspicions of "aggravated fraud", '' breach of trust 'or' illegal campaign financing '.

The National Campaign Accounts Commission (CNCCFP) noted a difference of 152,688 euros between the salaries paid and the amounts invoiced to the agent.

Responsible for validating the reimbursement of candidates' expenses with public money, the commission refused to reimburse the margin made by the association, a non-profit organization, and had reported the facts to justice.

"The era of the people and the employee only applied the provisions of the electoral code which oblige providers to charge market prices," said Me Croizet, who also defends the association.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI), 2022 presidential candidate, at a convention in Reims, October 17, 2021 FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI AFP / Archives

Candidate for the 2022 presidential election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon disputes any infringement, in this investigation and in the second judicial investigation, still in progress, concerning the employment of his assistants when he was a MEP.

© 2021 AFP