Gdf Suez - French Businessman Seeks New Probe Into Lagarde Reuters

PARIS Mon May 30, 2011 4:49pm EDT

PARIS (Reuters) - A French businessman as well as anti-corruption campaigner provides questioned prosecutors that will take a look at that factor connected with French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, the particular entry athlete to get that up coming IMF head, in a very recent business deal.

Jean-Marie Kuhn accuses Lagarde involving maltreating the woman expert by means of letting assert bank Caisse des Depots to acquire your 25 p'cent risk throughout GRTgaz, the actual propane grid regarding energy GDF Suez (GSZ.PA), previous this specific year, according to a new message of his or her mail to a state prosecutor.

"We look at this absolute fantasy," some sort of finance ministry public told Reuters in problem to Kuhn's allegation.

Lagarde, that gained esteem with regard to the woman role in handling the particular euro zoom credit card debt crisis, witout a doubt encounters a great questions towards your girlfriend 2008 choice to settle a dispute in between the particular state as well as businessman Bernard Tapie, somebody regarding President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Lagarde includes waived every misconduct in this Tapie affair.

The past best lawyer includes rapidly came forth since the leading applicant to upgrade Dominique Strauss-Kahn as taking care of overseer from the International Monetary Fund.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe reported about Sunday that your lover acquired picked up the actual support of management through the Group of Eight international locations every time they achieved on Thursday as well as Friday within France.

Kuhn includes enquired prosecutor Jean-Louis Nadal who's also investigating the particular Tapie case to seek a new the courtroom exploration into Lagarde's part in GDF Suez 's good discounts on the GRTgaz share to be able to Caisse des Depots.

He said the particular purchase used arrest money to get an expenditure of money that's neither of them organize with the bank nor put on your plate a function to the basic public.

"This is usually embezzlement associated with arrest finances which Lagarde can be an accomplice, committing in the course of action several abuses connected with capacity as well as power," Kuhn reported in his page to help Nadal, adding this his steps were politically motivated.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas ; Editing simply by Catherine Bremer in addition to Lin Noueihed)