Tuesday, March 19, 2013

French Minister Probing Tax Fraud Has Secret Swiss Bank Account

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up Department, European Division"

Jerome Cahuzac
(photo: Paris Match)
Jerome Cahuzac, the French budget minister whose responsibilities included investigating tax fraud, resigned today. According to a report noted in the financial blog zerohedge.com, it turns out M. Cahuzac possesses a Swiss bank account. In and of itself, that's not a crime. However, when the account is secret, and you're investigating people who also have hush-hush bank accounts outside the land of Liberté, égalité, fraternité, you invite...how can I put this...skepticism. In this case, it's Gallic-style skepticism. Since that's rarely for the faint of heart, M. Cahuzac decided it was time to bid adieu to French President Francois Hollande's increasingly unpopular administration.

For a Parisian perspective on l'affaire Cahuzac, read Le Monde's story on the affair, which includes the former minister's declaration of innocence. If you're in the mood for a second helping of scandal, dig into the French newspaper Liberation's version of events.

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