IMF’s Chief Christine Lagarde Found Guilty of Negligence

Lagarde’s lawyer who has denied the negligence charges said that his team would look into appealing the decision.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde. (Photo: AP)

French judges on Monday found International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde guilty of negligence for failing to challenge a 400 million euro ($417 million) state arbitration payout to a business tycoon in 2008 when she was French finance minister.

Despite the ruling, the judges did not hand down any sentence for her decision to allow the rare out-of-court arbitration payment. She has denied the negligence charges.

Her lawyer said immediately after the ruling that his team would look into appealing the decision.

The ruling risks triggering a new leadership crisis at the International Monetary Fund after Lagarde's predecessor Dominique Strauss Khan resigned in 2011 over a sexual assault scandal.

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