France's New Health Minister Faces Investigation Over Accepting Unreported Gifts

France's Health Minister Agnès Firmin Le Bodo is under scrutiny for not declaring over €20,000 in luxury gifts received as a pharmacist before her ministerial appointment.

The probe centers on lavish items from Urgo laboratories, including watches, champagne, and electronics, delivered between 2015 and 2020—a potential breach of France's strict gift disclosure regulations.

A judicial inquiry initiated in June 2023 will lead to a hearing in January 2024. Amid the scandal, Le Bodo, having assumed her position following Aurélien Rousseau's exit over immigration issues, remains silent except to the judiciary.

This case forms part of a larger investigation into Urgo, which has already faced a conviction for distributing €55 million in gifts to pharmacists nationwide, violating the anti-gift law.