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Organisers of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France said police raided their offices Wednesday as part of a legal probe into the management of the competition under former chief executive Claude Atcher.
Atcher was sacked as head of France-2023 last month after an internal investigation reported “alarming managerial practices” amid allegations of bullying and harassment from staff.
The national financial crimes prosecutor’s office confirmed Wednesday for the first time that it had opened an investigation into possible favouritism, corruption and influence-peddling at France-2023, which is structured as a public-interest group.
The probe followed a referral from auditors at the finance and sports ministries, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement that confirmed raids were underway at different locations.
“This intervention follows…
