forgery

McCain is also facing a charge of forgery for allegedly faking his wife’s signature in a tax return check.

Previously, reports from these two laboratories accompanied two paintings proven to be forgeries in a BBC documentary, The Zaks Affair: Anatomy of a Fake Collection.

Merryman, who is currently believed to live in Georgetown, Texas, has been charged with one felony count of insurance fraud, one felony count of false personation and two felony counts of forgery, prosecutors said.

This was because an invoice from train company GWR, which Mr Kenny handed over as proof of incoming funds, was flagged as a potential forgery.

The raids were linked by Paris prosecutors to an inquiry launched exactly a year ago into allegations of embezzlement, forgery and fraud centring on Le Pen's party.