France’s culture minister, Rashida Dati, is in the crosshairs of the judiciary as anti-corruption prosecutors announced they have launched a preliminary investigation after complaints that she did not include the jewelry in her statement.

In France, members of the government have a legal obligation to list in their declaration of assets any valuable assets.

The investigation follows an April report in Libération newspaper that Dati – who in polls appears as a leading contender to succeed Ann Indalgo in the mayoralty of Paris in 2026 – had failed to declare 19 pieces of jewelry, worth about 420,000 euros, to the Transparency Authority.

In France, elected officials must declare items worth more than 10,000 euros, and non-compliance carries a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.

Dati has previously dismissed any suspicion of irregularity, stating in May that she had “nothing to correct” in her asset declaration. Her office did not immediately comment after prosecutors announced yesterday that they had opened an investigation “following reports of possible violations related to the failure to declare jewelry.”

However, this case is not the only one of concern to the judiciary. Over the summer, it became known that Dati will sit in the court with former Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn on corruption charges.

According to prosecutors, Dati allegedly received fees for consulting services from a subsidiary of the automaker, but did not actually perform the duties of a consultant. Instead, she is believed to have used her position in the European Parliament to advance Renault’s interests.

In this case, too, the minister has categorically denied any illegal act.