PARIS - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen will stand trial alongside 27 others over alleged misuse of EU funds, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday, confirming French media reports, charges that Le Pen's party said it contested.

The total of 28 defendants will be brought to court, including Le Pen and her father Jean-Marie, the office said.

An initial pre-trial hearing scheduled for March 27 next year will be followed by more in-depth hearing during October and November.

The investigation, opened in 2016, aimed to ascertain whether the then National Front had used money destined for EU parliamentary assistants to pay staff who were working for the party.

EU lawmakers are allocated funds to cover expenses, including their assistants, but are not meant to use them for party expenses.

"We formally contest the accusations made against our MEPs and parliamentary assistants," Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) party said in a statement.

The party added Marine Le Pen had committed no offence and that there were no irregularities in the employment of her parliamentary assistants, under both the European Parliament regulations and the French law.

At the head of RN until 2021, Marine Le Pen ran against Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and could again present her candidacy in 2027. REUTERS