Photo: AFPAFP · 5 Sep 2016, 18:08Published: 05 Sep 2016 18:08 GMT+02:00France's disgraced former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac went on trial Monday for stashing millions abroad while chasing tax cheats at home. He and his ex-wife Patricia Menard -- with whom he ran a lucrative hair transplant clinic -- each face up to seven years in jail and one million euros ($1.1 million) in fines if convicted. Also in the dock are their advisers, Swiss banker Francois Reyl and Dubai-based lawyer Philippe Houman. The Reyl bank of Geneva, which in 2009 allegedly helped Cahuzac transfer funds to Singapore to avoid detection by French tax authorities, is also being tried. In one episode, Cahuzac, using the codename "Birdie", allegedly received two cash payments of 10,000 euros each on the streets of Paris.

Source: The Local September 05, 2016 14:03 UTC