French payout scandal: IMF chief Lagarde avoids charges
Lagarde was questioned by prosecutors working for a court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct.
PARIS:
International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde avoided immediate charges on Friday but was named an “assisted witness” after French prosecutors grilled her for two days over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon when she was finance minister.
Lagarde was questioned by prosecutors working for a court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct over her 2007 handling of a row that resulted in €400 million ($515 million) being paid to controversial business figure Bernard Tapie. While Lagarde avoided being placed under formal investigation, the closest equivalent in French law to being charged, her “assisted witness” status means she could still face further questions and possibly charges at a later stage. Criminal charges against Lagarde would have been an embarrassment for the IMF.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2013.
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International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde avoided immediate charges on Friday but was named an “assisted witness” after French prosecutors grilled her for two days over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon when she was finance minister.
Lagarde was questioned by prosecutors working for a court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct over her 2007 handling of a row that resulted in €400 million ($515 million) being paid to controversial business figure Bernard Tapie. While Lagarde avoided being placed under formal investigation, the closest equivalent in French law to being charged, her “assisted witness” status means she could still face further questions and possibly charges at a later stage. Criminal charges against Lagarde would have been an embarrassment for the IMF.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2013.
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