Inquiry in France over ‘clandestine’ Covid-defying dinners

A report by a French television channel alleging "clandestine" luxury dinners in Paris despite the pandemic has sparked an investigation and public furore over claims the nation’s political elite were brazenly ignoring rules they themselves had set.

The M6 private channel on Friday broadcast a reportage based on footage recorded with a hidden camera purportedly from a clandestine restaurant in a high-end area of Paris where neither the staff nor the diners were wearing masks.

All restaurants and cafes have been closed in France for eating in for the last five months. The country this week began a new limited nationwide lockdown to deal with surging Covid-19 infections. The hashtag #OnVeutLesNoms (We Want the Names) went viral on Twitter, as speculation swirled over who may have attended such dinners.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said on Monday that a criminal probe had been opened into putting the lives of others at risk. The investigation would assess "if these evenings were organised in defiance of health rules and to determine who were the possible organisers and participants."

The report showed staff at the venue proposing an evening menu from 160 euros ($189) per head but said that the most expensive option went for 490 euros ($578), including a bottle of champagne.

Removing the face mask was not just possible but obligatory, it said. "We don’t wear a mask here. Once you pass through the doors, Covid no longer exists. We want people to feel at ease," a staff member told the undercover team.

One source interviewed by M6, whose identity was not revealed and whose voice was distorted, told the channel that such evenings had taken place and guests present had even included ministers.