PARIS (Reuters) - The Paris prosecutor’s office on Friday opened a preliminary investigation into the centrist Modem party, an ally of President Emmanuel Macron, over allegations concerning the possible misuse of public funds for fake parliamentary work.

The prosecutor’s office said the probe followed a letter received from a former employee of the party, who said he was paid in 2010-2011 in part by parliamentary funds for work he did for the party.

The opening of a preliminary inquiry does not imply guilt. Prosecutors decide after such preliminary checks whether there are grounds for a full-scale investigation or not.