IMF chief Lagarde to face trial in France corruption case

World Today

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks during a news conference at the IMF in Washington, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, to announce the Chinese yuan will join a basket of the world’s leading currencies. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has been ordered to stand trial in France over her role in a 2008 arbitration ruling that handed 400 million euros ($434 million) to French businessman Bernard Tapie.

Lagarde was the French finance minister at the time. She has denied wrongdoing, and after years of investigation, a prosecutor in September argued that the case against her should be dropped.

But the Court of Justice of the Republic on Thursday announced it has decided to send her to trial. It is a special court for trials of government ministers.

“It’s incomprehensible,” her lawyer, Yves Repiquet, said on i-Tele television. “I will recommend Mrs Lagarde appeal this decision.”

Compiled from AP and Reuters wires