PNF director Jean-François Bohnert has vowed the Paris 2024 probe will not "disrupt" the Olympics and Paralympics ©Getty Images

France's National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) director Jean-François Bohnert has claimed he does not expect to uncover the "most serious cases of corruption" in an investigation into the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, and vowed not to "disrupt" the Games.

The Organising Committee's headquarters were raided in June in search of information related to investigations into contracts connected to Paris 2024.

One of the two preliminary investigations had opened in 2017, the year Paris was awarded the Games, for alleged embezzlement of public funds and favouritism over a Paris 2024 contract, and the other launched last year related to contracts involving Paris 2024 and the company responsible for building works Solideo.

Bohnert provided further details on the scope of the probe to French radio network RTL, and played down the seriousness of the allegations at this stage.

"It's about favouritism, of illegal interest-taking," he said.

"It’s about the way certain contracts have been distributed, the arrangements ... but I don’t see any elements, at least not at this stage, that would lead the investigation towards the most serious cases of corruption or influence peddling."

Bohnert added the PNF wants to "ensure the smooth running of what is going to be a global event".

Paris 2024's headquarters were raided in June as part of an investigation into contracts and alleged favouritism ©Getty Images
Paris 2024's headquarters were raided in June as part of an investigation into contracts and alleged favouritism ©Getty Images

"It's not up to us to come and disrupt that order," he said.

"And that’s why we started early enough.

"The searches that took place were carried out more than a year before the start of the Games."

PNF investigators also raided the headquarters of Solideo and homes of Paris 2024 chief executive Étienne Thobois and executive director of Games operations Edouard Donnelly, who are both former directors of sports marketing agency Keneo.

As it stands, Thobois and Donnelly face no allegations and are being looked at because of their involvement in business decisions.

Paris 2024 said after its headquarters were raided it is cooperating with investigators, while French Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Amélie Oudéa-Castéra claimed she has "no specific concerns".

Organising Committee President Tony Estanguet has dismissed comparisons to corruption scandals which have blighted the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

The start of Paris 2024 is less than one year away, with the Olympics due to run from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.