Monday, December 14, 2009

Accused of Bilking France's Richest Woman

A French court ordered a photographer accused of bilking France's richest woman out of cash and art worth euro1 billion ($1.5 billion) to stand trial for exploitation.

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers has waged a two-year legal campaign against the man she accuses of taking advantage of Liliane Bettencourt, her 87-year-old mother and the heiress to the French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, including a failed attempt to have her mother put under court-ordered supervision.

On Friday, a court ruled that Francois-Marie Banier, 62, will be tried April 16-17 for exploitation. He faces up to three years in jail and a euro75,000 fine.

"This trial will really show that Francois-Marie Banier abused a fragile woman," said Olivier Metzner, the lawyer for Bettencourt Meyers said.

Banier's lawyer, Herve Temime, said his client wasn't afraid of prosecution. "He's in a hurry to be absolved of this defamation," he said.

The Nanterre criminal court also ordered Liliane Bettencourt to undergo a medical examination before March 10.

Full Article and Source:
Photographer Accused of Bilking L'Oreal Heiress Out of $1.5 Billion Ordered to Stand Trial

See Also:
Family Feud and the L'Oreal Billions

3 comments:

StandUp said...

This case is heating up. The lawyers love it!

Max said...

Wherever there's loads of money, the vultures circle.

Too bad.

Barbara said...

Everybody wonders what it would be like to be wealthy beyond belief, but here's the downside. And the downside usually leads to guardianship.