French presidential candidate Fillon postpones visit to Paris farm fair

PARIS Francois Fillon, the conservative French presidential candidate whose campaign has been hit by a legal investigation, postponed a planned visit to the annual Paris farm fair at the last minute on Wednesday without giving a reason.

Fillon has been under pressure over allegations that he paid family members for fake parliamentary jobs.

He faces a full judicial inquiry into the allegations after the country’s financial prosecutor said last week she was appointing a magistrate to lead a deeper probe.

“The visit by Francois Fillon this morning to the international agricultural salon has been postponed,” said a short statement from Fillon’s team that gave no explanation.

Journalists had already gathered at the agricultural fair to cover the candidate’s arrival.

Several French journalists said on Twitter that Fillon was likely to make a statement at midday Paris time (1100 GMT). His team could not be immediately reached for comment.

The annual Paris farm fair traditionally marks an obligatory pit-stop for French presidential candidates, given the importance of winning votes in France’s rural communities.

Fillon’s rating in opinion polls has fallen after French authorities launched an inquiry into the allegations about payments to his family members. Fillon has denied any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta- Editing by Adrian Croft and Andrew Callus)