“Use me” International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde purportedly urged former president Nicolas Sarkozy in a letter court investigators seized at her Paris home in March and which was leaked to the French press, reports FRANCE 24.
The undated and hand-written letter, a wholehearted pledge of allegiance to Sarkozy, has caused bemusement in France because of its strange choice of words, but has also rekindled concerns about Lagarde’s role in a controversial settlement that awarded millions of euros from the state to controversial French businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008.
The IMF chief was questioned for several hours on May 23 by prosecutors looking into whether the settlement was the result of fraud. More specifically, investigators are probing whether Tapie received the payout thanks to his cozy relationship with the Sarkozy administration – which included Lagarde as finance minister.
Prosecutors cleared Lagarde of any charges after quizzing her, only requesting that she stay involved in the ongoing investigations as a witness.
However, the leaked letter – in which she tells Sarkozy “Use me for as long as it suits you and suits your plans and casting call” – has thrust her back into the spotlight, calling her impartiality into question and showering her with ridicule for the unusual style and vocabulary used.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.