French civil servant investigated for treason over N.Korea spying claim: source

PARIS (Reuters) - A French civil servant was placed under formal investigation for treason over allegations of having tried to pass sensitive government information to North Korea, a judicial source said on Thursday.

Benoit Quennedey, senior administrator in the department of architecture, heritage and gardens at the Senate, the country’s upper house of parliament, and president of the Franco-Korean Friendship Association (AAFC), was placed in custody on Monday and his offices searched.

He is suspected of gathering and delivering to a foreign power information likely to harm national interests, the source said, adding that the French domestic security and intelligence agency DGSI was handling the investigation.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-security-northkorea/french-civil-servant-investigated-for-treason-over-n-korea-spying-claim-source-idUSKCN1NY2M6