Anti-corruption association AC!! Anti-Corruption has filed a legal complaint against Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko following allegations of public fund embezzlement and fictitious employment. The complaint against persons unknown was submitted to the National Financial Prosecutor's Office after an investigative report published by satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné.
The investigation, published on August 4, 2026, alleged that the La France Insoumise (LFI) mayor illegally held two full-time public roles at the same time. The association informed AFP on August 7 that the legal action targets suspicions of public fund embezzlement, fictitious employment, illegal taking of interest, favoritism, breach of probity, and irregular accumulation of public activities. Bally Bagayoko declined to comment to AFP regarding the legal filing.
French law prohibits holding two full-time public positions without explicit authorization. AC!! Anti-Corruption requested that prosecutors verify whether Bagayoko obtained official permission from state authorities or Paris transit operator RATP, as well as his actual attendance at RATP while serving as an elected official. The group noted that receiving pay for a full-time position not actually worked would constitute improper use of public funds.
Dual Public Employment Allegations
According to Le Canard Enchaîné, Bagayoko joined public transport operator RATP as an executive in 2000 without a competitive examination or job interview. He reportedly maintained the corporate position with flexible hours while serving as deputy mayor of Saint-Denis and as vice president of the departmental council.
The newspaper reported that after Bagayoko lost his departmental council seat in 2015, the Communist-led municipal council approved a 102 percent increase in his deputy mayor allowances. Combined with bonuses and a 13th-month payment, his monthly executive salary at RATP subsequently exceeded 6,000 euros, details Bagayoko confirmed to the publication.
Former judge Éric Halphen, honorary president of AC!! Anti-Corruption, told AFP that an anti-corruption group must report potential illegal acts regardless of whether the officials involved are on the left or the right. Halphen stated that suspected irregularities involving a municipal leader and a public entity required referral to financial prosecutors, adding that the group was acting as a whistleblower in hopes of an official inquiry.
Political Reactions and Public Transport Audit Call
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region and head of regional transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités, called on social network X for complete transparency regarding RATP recruitment policies past and present. Pécresse stated that taxpayer-funded fictitious jobs are illegal and cannot be tolerated within public monopolies.
RATP stated to AFP that it remains fully available to cooperate serenely with judicial authorities should prosecutors proceed with an investigation.
In a statement posted on X, Bagayoko rejected the allegations, describing them as a political attempt to discredit him and weaken momentum beyond his person. He attributed the claims to the entourage of former Socialist mayor Mathieu Hanotin, noting that he could not recall a mayor of a large city facing such a series of attacks so soon after winning election in March 2026. He added that critics were attempting to stop them, but they would continue moving forward.
Additional Context and Local Political Issues
Bagayoko has been involved in several other political matters in Saint-Denis. The Insoumis mayor previously contested a municipal election loss against television host Stéphane Bern, faced reporting over an alleged intervention on behalf of two brothers convicted of drug trafficking, and promoted legalizing all undocumented migrants as a key political policy.
The mayor also drew a public response from France's education minister, who stated that the national anthem should be sung rather than whistled.
Saint-Denis has become a focal point for national party strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon selecting the city for his first major campaign meeting.
Mélenchon also joined thousands of people gathered in Saint-Denis for a rally against racism in support of Bagayoko, describing the gathering as a historic moment for France.
