Jérôme Kerviel came to his recent hearing in the French courts Wednesday to face accusations made by Société Générale. Kerviel was ordered to pay his former employer with €4.9 billion in damages.
The trial which will take place this week in the Versailles Appeals Court threatens further awkward queries for the bank of France, ruling on the extent of its responsibility for Kerviel's losses which dated back in 2008.The attorney of Kerviel is using civil proceedings as a chance to try and reopen the criminal case. Kerviel's lawyer, David Koubbi said that the party would seek a deferment of the civil trial because of the new evidence that recently aroused, as reported by Financial Times.
According to English RFI, David Koubbi revealed that a former deputy prosecutor in the trial has stated that it was perspicuous that Societe Generale knew of Kerviel's trades and dealings. A top detective in the case also made a secret recording of Chantal de Leiris, a deputy prosecutor. The recordings caught Chantal de Leiris saying it was obvious that everyone in finance knew about it. The attorney allegedly said that when the subject comes up, everyone laughs including those who only knew little about it, knowing very well that Societe Generale knew. 'It's obvious, obvious,' said the deputy prosecutor.
In 2010, Jérôme Kerviel was found guilty of abuse of forgery, computer abuse, and trust after accumulating €50 billion in hidden trades before the financial crisis, as reported by France 24. The Versailles Appeals Court said that it would rule on whether to delay the case by Wednesday.
On Sunday, the French bank reacted quickly on the leaked taped and has denounced it as media manipulation. The bank reminded the press and the public that France's justice system had already found Kerviel to be guilty in three separate cases.
Kerviel has maintained that his employers and managers knew all about his doing but denied allegations in amassing €50 billion. Meanwhile, SocGen also reiterated that the leaked tape did not change any facts or evidence of his case. The French court will decide by March 21 on Keviel's request for trial.
