Financial crime prosecutors in France say they have opened a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Lang, a major figure in French socialist governments between the 1980s and 2000s, is being investigated for suspected laundering of tax fraud proceeds.
It follows the US Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files, which have documented links between the Lang family and the late American sex offender.
Lang, now 86 and head of the Arab World Institute in Paris, denies wrongdoing and has described the allegations against him as baseless.
He stated that the investigation will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.
Lang's daughter Caroline, 64, is also being investigated in the case. Earlier this week she stepped down as head of a French film producers' union.
Former French minister Lang is named almost 700 times in the Epstein files and has thus far resisted pressure to step down as president of the Arab World Institute.
On Tuesday, he told broadcaster BFMTV he had known nothing about Epstein's crimes when he met him some 15 years ago. Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Lang, who served as culture minister between 1981 and 1993 and later as minister of education, claims he was introduced to Epstein by US actor-director Woody Allen and found him passionate about art, culture and cinema.
France's foreign minister has summoned Lang for talks on Sunday regarding the ongoing investigation, which reportedly hints at Lang appealing to Epstein for funds or favors, including use of Epstein's car and private plane for himself and his family.
Caroline Lang remarked that in her meeting with Epstein in 2012, he expressed a desire to invest in young French and international artists. She clarified she had not invested in any ventures associated with him, despite receiving shares in a company set up by his lawyers.
Neither Lang nor his daughter have been directly implicated in Epstein's sexual crimes, and being mentioned in the released documents does not imply wrongdoing.
Epstein died in prison in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
