- Title: Lawyer for IMF's Lagarde says no proof of negligence after first day of trial
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** LAWYER FOR IMF DIRECTOR GENERAL CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PATRICK MAISONNEUVE, LEAVING COURTROOM MAISONNEUVE TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAWYER FOR IMF DIRECTOR GENERAL CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PATRICK MAISONNEUVE, SAYING: "This afternoon Ms Lagarde was not caught out for a single moment for a very simple reason: when you stick to the truth, when you stick to the reality, there's no reason to be caught out. She answered clearly, precisely, and once again what comes out of this afternoon's session is that I cannot see what negligence -- after this session and there will be others -- at the end of this session I cannot see what negligence we can criticise Ms Lagarde for." JOURNALISTS LEAVING COURTROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF LEGAL TEAM OF IMF DIRECTOR GENERAL CHRISTINE LAGARDE, CHRISTOPHER BAKER, SAYING: "Well I think first and foremost she is relieved finally to be able to speak out. Until now this has been going on behind closed doors, and in the press if you'll pardon the expression, and today she is finally having the chance to respond to what are effectively accusations, and accusations that in her mind are extremely unfair." VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN OUTSIDE COURTROOM
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 18:06
- Keywords: France IMF Christine Lagarde Bernard Tapie Cour de Justice de la Republique Adidas Credit Lyonnais payout Patrick Maisonneuve lawyer
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CKYA87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: IMF chief Christine Lagarde faced questions from a special court in Paris on the first day of her trial for negligence leading to misuse of public funds on Monday (December 12).
The trial focuses on her role in a huge payout by the French state to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008 when she was finance minister under then president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The decision to accept an extremely rare private arbitration ended up costing French taxpayers more than 400 million euros ($424 million) in a payout to Tapie.
Lagarde denies any wrongdoing. She risks up to a year in jail and a fine of 15,000 euros ($15,895) if convicted.
Lagarde's lawyer Patrick Maisonneave told journalists after the first day that Lagarde responded extremely well to questioning.
"This afternoon Ms Lagarde was not caught out for a single moment for a very simple reason: when you stick to the truth, when you stick to the reality, there's no reason to be caught out. She answered clearly, precisely," he said.
Member of her legal team Christopher Baker said that Lagarde was pleased to be able to lay out her case.
"Until now this has been going on behind closed doors, and in the press if you'll pardon the expression, and today she is finally having the chance to respond to what are effectively accusations, and accusations that in her mind are extremely unfair," he said.
Were she to be convicted, a maximum sentence could raise questions about the widely respected policymaker's ability to continue as head of the Washington-based International Monetary Fund, where her French predecessor Dominique Strauss Kahn quit in 2011 over a sex assault scandal.
Her trial is only the fifth to be held before the Cour de Justice de la Republique, a special tribunal created in 1993 to try cabinet ministers.
A panel of 15, including 12 lawmakers from both the lower and upper houses of parliament, will hear the case, which is scheduled to run until December 20. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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