IMF Head Sails Close to a Scandal in France …
- May 29th, 2013
- Posted by Editor EUAustralia
A court in Paris, after two days of questioning, has listed the Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde (picture), as a key witness in a major corruption case.
AFFAIRE TAPIS
Ms Lagarde was the French Finance Minister in 2008 when the government made a huge payout to the businessman Bernard Tapis, after a financial dispute.
Mr Tapis had been disgraced over earlier dealings, but claimed he had been grossly underpaid by a state-owned bank, when he sold the Addidas sporting goods business.
State prosecutors are probing to find out whether in fact the tribunal that agreed with him, and authorised the state to pay him more, was rewarding him for political support given to the then President, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Ms Lagarde pointed out emphatically that the court last week, 25.5.13, had not charged her with any offence.
She has been classed as a temoin assiste (an assisted or supervised witness), not a witness simple, nor an accused person.
“That’s no surprise to me, since I have always acted in the interest of the state and in conformity with the law”, she said.
TROUBLES PAST
Christine Lagarde, 57, has been close to a scandal before, when she was appointed to her present job as head of the International Monetary Fund, in June 2011.
She succeeded the previous incumbent, Dominique Strauss-Kahn (picture), whose famous encounter with a New York hotel maid had just ended his likely bid to contest elections for the French Presidency.
The IMF debated for a short time whether to persist with a convention, of having a European in the top job, in consideration of the growing influence of economic middle powers, like Brazil, China and Russia.
See EUAustralia Online, Christine Lagarde …, 29.6.13.
Dr Strauss-Kahn himself drew some fresh attention on the weekend (25.5.13) when he appeared at the Cannes Film festival with a new female companion.
Reference
AFP, Paris, french police detain judge, lawyer in case liked to Christine Lagarde, 28.5.13.Le Monde, Paris, Affaire Tapie : Christine Lagarde placée sous statut de témoin assisté, (Tapis affair: Christine Lagarde made a supervised witness), 24.5.13.
Le Monde, Paris, Affaire Tapie : Christine Lagarde placée sous statut de témoin assisté, (Tapis affair: Christine Lagarde made a supervised witness), 24.5.13.