PARIS - French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, who is spearheading the organisation of the Paris summer Olympics, has been placed under investigation for defamation, a public prosecutor said on Thursday.

The prosecutor, who is affiliated to the Cour de Justice de la Republique - a special tribunal for government officials - said the investigation resulted from a complaint by former French soccer federation president Noel Le Graet, who quit his post in February 2023 following allegations of harassment.