Olympics - IOC Olympic Village visit - Olympic Village, Saint-Denis, France - December 1, 2023 Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet during the press conference REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
PARIS (Reuters) -Paris 2024 Olympics Organisers expressed surprise at media reports on Tuesday that the committee's President Tony Estanguet was allegedly facing a judicial investigation into his pay.
Paris 2024 compliance and public affairs director Blandine Sorbe told reporters that the organising committee had not been contacted by the financial prosecutor's office.
"We wish to remind people that the Organising Committee President’s remuneration is subject to a strict framework," a statement released by Paris 2024 said.
"The remuneration of the President of the Organising Committee is very strictly regulated."
The financial prosecutor's office declined immediate comment.
In October, authorities raided the Paris 2024 headquarters as part of an investigation into alleged favouritism that also targeted event management firms.
In 2018, Paris 2024 said Estanguet was awarded a 270,000-euro ($290,000) annual remuneration and Paris 2024 deputy CEO Michael Aloisio said that contrary to media reports no cap was imposed by the law.
"Tony Estanguet's remuneration was submitted to our Remuneration Committee, he did not decide how much he would earn. He is being paid after billing us monthly," said Sorbe.
"I'm not worried, we've known this figure from the beginning and nothing was hidden," Paris deputy mayor for Sports Pierre Rabadan told Reuters.
"If verifications need to be made, let's have them made but I'm bothered by the fact that it casts a doubt on the Games' organisation while we've done everything to be transparent, notably by setting up an ethics committee."
($1 = 0.9316 euros)
(Additional reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Alex Richardson, Richard Lough, Christina Fincher, Timothy Heritage and Ed Osmond)
