The prosecution, which carries a maximum one-year prison sentence, is an embarrassment to the IMF, which has recently reappointed Ms Lagarde, who denies wrongdoing. Christine Lagarde, the former French finance minister who heads the International Monetary Fund, will go on trial for negligence over a €405 million state payout to a rich businessman. France’s highest appeal court yesterday rejected a challenge from Ms Lagarde, 60, against prosecution over her approval in 2008 of an arbitration claim in favour of Bernard Tapie, the flamboyant tycoon and football club owner, when she was in President Sarkozy’s cabinet. Mr Sarkozy had wanted to…
