Overview
- The Paris public prosecutor announced Thursday that Francis Szpiner, a Les Républicains senator and former mayor of the 16th arrondissement, has been formally placed under investigation for passive corruption.
- The woman who received the apartment was also indicted on July 9 for active corruption and put under judicial supervision with a court order banning contact with Szpiner.
- Investigators opened an information judiciaire in April 2025 focused on a 2023 allocation in the 16th arrondissement and carried out searches at the arrondissement town hall and at Szpiner’s home.
- Szpiner was held in police custody for 48 hours and denies the allegations, and prosecutors say no judicial supervision was ordered because the Senate did not process the immunity-lift request in time.
- The charge carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a €1 million fine, and the case raises questions about how elected officials allocate scarce social housing and the Senate’s role in handling immunity requests.