Staff investigated over Elysée leak
Photos of President Hollande and Julie Gayet were taken from president's private apartment and published in gossip mag
A DOZEN staff at the Elysée palace are being investigated after photos of President Hollande and the actress Julie Gayet were leaked to a gossip magazine.
The photos, which appeared in Voici this week, show the pair in the interior courtyard of the presidential palace.
According to the Journal du Dimanche, Hollande's aides believe the photos were secretly taken from a window of the president's private apartment on a Sunday in October.
Only a handful of staff have access to this part of the building and a leak inquiry is under way.
Voici said in its article on Friday that Ms Gayet had become a "quasi-first-lady" and published a photo spread headlined: "Images of a couple in love".
This prompted a security scare at the Elysée, as officials attempted to find out whether a paparazzi photographer had somehow managed to sneak in.
Meanwhile, Hollande's ex, Valerie Trierweiler, has given a series of interview to British media outlets to promote the English translation of her memoir, Thank You For The Moment.
During her four-day trip, she spoke to two BBC programmes and at least four national newspapers.
