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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| French court questions IMF chief Christine Lagarde | French court questions IMF chief Christine Lagarde |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| French judges in Paris have questioned IMF chief Christine Lagarde over a controversial payout made to a tycoon when she was finance minister. | |
| She has been asked to explain her handling of a dispute in 2007 which resulted in some 400m euros (£342m; $516m) being paid to Bernard Tapie. | |
| Ms Lagarde insists the award was the best solution at the time. | |
| She has now left the court, which investigates ministerial misconduct, with no immediate decision announced. | |
| The IMF chief departed the Court of Justice of the Republic shortly after 19:00 GMT, telling reporters "until tomorrow". | |
| She could be placed under formal investigation for the decision to use arbitration, against advice from senior advisers, to settle a long-running court battle between the state and Mr Tapie, a supporter of the then French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. | She could be placed under formal investigation for the decision to use arbitration, against advice from senior advisers, to settle a long-running court battle between the state and Mr Tapie, a supporter of the then French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| Financial probity examined | Financial probity examined |
| Mr Tapie won a much bigger payout than he might have expected in court. | Mr Tapie won a much bigger payout than he might have expected in court. |
| The case stretches back to 1993 when Mr Tapie, a colourful, controversial character in the French business world, sold his stake in sports company Adidas to Credit Lyonnais. | The case stretches back to 1993 when Mr Tapie, a colourful, controversial character in the French business world, sold his stake in sports company Adidas to Credit Lyonnais. |
| Soon after the bank sold on that stake for a much bigger profit, Mr Tapie claimed they had defrauded him. | Soon after the bank sold on that stake for a much bigger profit, Mr Tapie claimed they had defrauded him. |
| In 2007, President Sarkozy suggested the finance ministry - which had been overseeing the dispute and was led by Ms Lagarde - should move the case to arbitration. | In 2007, President Sarkozy suggested the finance ministry - which had been overseeing the dispute and was led by Ms Lagarde - should move the case to arbitration. |
| Ms Lagarde is not accused of profiting from the payout, but she is being questioned over the alleged misuse of public funds. | Ms Lagarde is not accused of profiting from the payout, but she is being questioned over the alleged misuse of public funds. |
| If she is placed under formal investigation it is of course embarrassing, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports from Paris. It is a step closer to trial but does not necessarily mean the case will end up in court, he says. | If she is placed under formal investigation it is of course embarrassing, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports from Paris. It is a step closer to trial but does not necessarily mean the case will end up in court, he says. |
| Tapie relaxed | Tapie relaxed |
| Speaking on French Europe 1 radio, Mr Tapie said he was "not at all worried" about the investigation. | Speaking on French Europe 1 radio, Mr Tapie said he was "not at all worried" about the investigation. |
| "When arbitration is conducted it is done according to the rules," he said. "If there had been something questionable, it would have been known a long time ago." | "When arbitration is conducted it is done according to the rules," he said. "If there had been something questionable, it would have been known a long time ago." |
| Ms Lagarde is still one of the most popular politicians on the right in France. And after the scandal that toppled the last IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, few in France want to see another prominent French politician embarrassed on the world stage, our correspondent says. | Ms Lagarde is still one of the most popular politicians on the right in France. And after the scandal that toppled the last IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, few in France want to see another prominent French politician embarrassed on the world stage, our correspondent says. |
| Mr Strauss-Kahn resigned in 2011 after a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault. Charges were later dropped. | Mr Strauss-Kahn resigned in 2011 after a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault. Charges were later dropped. |
| Some on the right wonder whether Ms Lagarde could be a future candidate for first female French president, notably because she has stayed outside the conservative UMP party's vicious in-fighting. | Some on the right wonder whether Ms Lagarde could be a future candidate for first female French president, notably because she has stayed outside the conservative UMP party's vicious in-fighting. |
| Ms Lagarde, a perfect English speaker, has never expressed a desire to run for president. But her five-year term at the IMF is due to finish in 2016 - a year before the next presidential election. With her acumen she may be a dangerous opponent for President Francois Hollande. | Ms Lagarde, a perfect English speaker, has never expressed a desire to run for president. But her five-year term at the IMF is due to finish in 2016 - a year before the next presidential election. With her acumen she may be a dangerous opponent for President Francois Hollande. |