FRANCE: Investigated allegations of paedophiles from the former French Minister

AFP - Paris prosecutors said Wednesday that they had launched a preliminary investigation on claims that a former Minister sexually abused boys in an orgy of Morocco several years ago.

Child protection police will conduct investigation and had to speak with the Minister of education former Luc Ferry, which was sensational on another former Minister claims, officials said.

Ferry let slip the claim on the politician, that he was not named, when it appeared on television Monday to discuss the scandals sexual French such as the arrest of New York from IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has tried to rape charges.

The ferry's intention seems to be to quote a story revealing the extent to which French law prevented the politicians and journalists from discussing individual sexual behviour behind closed doors.

But his comments cause a storm of criticism, with political figures piling demand it provide authorities with evidence of wrongdoing or withdraw the claim as a considerable rumors unfounded.

On Wednesday, face criticism, Ferry backpedalled in an interview with the weekly news magazine L'Express website.

"I was trying to defend the press respects the privacy and is not guilty of defamation," he said. "I have no evidence, or no specific details on this subject, but when I was a Minister I've heard about."

Ferry served as education Minister in Government of centre-right former between 2002 and 2004. It was does not clear his comments if he was accusing a former colleague or a Minister of administration earlier.

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FRANCE: Accused of Junior Minister of sexual harassment

REUTERS - French two women are to file a legal complaint against a junior Minister they accuse of harassment, has apparently encouraged to take the floor after the recent arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of sex crimes.

Gilbert Collard, lawyer for the woman, said he filed complaints against Georges Tron, the Minister of public service, a public prosecutor this week and confirmed, Reuters, that the charge was harassment.

Tron lawyer Olivier Schnerb, dismissed the complaints and said that had asked him to respond by filing a complaint of defamation in return.

Tron, which was declared by Le Parisien daily that the charges were "incredible", stated to Reuters he was Prime Minister Fran?ois Fillon has informed the case and said that the applicants were women who had been dismissed their City Hall positions to Draveiljust south of Paris, where Tron is mayor.

"The complaint was sent by post on Monday and reiterated by the applicants, this morning," said Collard.

One of the women described the reasons for the complaint in an interview, under a false name, in Le Parisien.

She said that the affected Minister inappropriate on several occasions in a two year stay at Draveil town hall, where she worked for a time on the reception of the Office of the Tron.

She said that she felt encouraged to break his silence after the former head of the IMF, Strauss-Kahn was arrested and accused of attempted rape on the charges of a maid hotel of New York in a case which exists in the France and the world.

"When I see that a woman of House is capable of taking on Dominique Strauss-Kahn, I tell myself I do not have the right to remain silent," said the woman, whose newspaper called Laura, adding that it was not his real name.

Strauss-Kahn, who was the favorite to win the French presidential election next year, was arrested may 14 in New York and was charged with attempted a servant of Hotel Sofitel, fresh, he refused and is committed to fight against rape.

The arrest triggered soul-searching and debate in France on the tolerance of sexual harassment and the reluctance of the media to continue and to highlight the issues more aggressive.

Tron has suggested in its comments on Le Parisien, the complaint against him was motivated by revenge and also spoke of a link to a local dispute on a property development, adding that the two women were related to the people of the extreme right-wing policy involved in this dispute.

Two women were dismissed from their use of City Hall following disciplinary proceedings, he said the newspaper, which added that he refused to comment on the substance of the charges against him.

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IMF: The French Minister of Finance Announces the submission to the head of the IMF

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde entered the race for the head of the Monetary Fund International on Wednesday, seeking to replace former Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as of the week last amid accusations of sexual assault.

"This is a huge challenge that I turn with humility and in the hope of achieving the widest possible consensus," Lagarde told a Paris press conference, saying she planned to travel extensively in the coming weeks to consult the other Member States.

If elected, the old centre-right politician of 55 would be the first woman to lead the international ready organization based in Washington since its founding in 1945.

Career as a high-profile of Christine Lagarde

-Born on January 1, 1956, in Paris

-1981: Joins the direction of Paris the firm Baker & McKenzie

-1999: Transfers of Chicago at the head of the Executive Committee of Baker & McKenzie

-2002: The Wall Street Journal ranks Lagarde as the fifth most powerful European business woman

-2005: Becomes French Trade Minister in the Government of Dominique de Villepin

-2007: Becomes Minister of Agriculture and fisheries

-2007: Becomes Minister of the economy and employment

-On May 25, 2011: announces his candidacy as next IMFchief

Before joining political in 2005, the Minister of finance to dapper grey hair spent much of his career as a lawyer at the United States, where she directs the firm Baker and McKenzie in Chicago.

LaGarde has won praise and respect of international leaders for his hanged in negotiating international deals under pressure during the Presidency of the g-20 France. She played a key role in bringing the IMF and the European Union to agree on contingency plans for the members of the indebted EU Greece, Ireland and the Portugal.

Many European countries, including the Germany, United Kingdom and Italy, are supporting the candidacy of Lagarde. The United States has yet to announce the candidate it supports.

Since its inception, the IMF has continuously led by a European under an informal agreement whereby the United States appoints the President of the World Bank. Four of ten IMF chiefs in history were French.

However, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa countries known as BRICS, have called for a break in this tradition. "We believe that it is scandalous to have the position reserved for a European," said Nogueira Batista, Executive Director of the IMF's Brazil and one of the signatories of the joint statement of BRICS.

Committee of 24 members of the IMF is due to established a list of three candidates ahead of June 30 for a successor to levy. Appointment of leaders of the 187-member organization is open until June 10.

The tycoon of the infamous

Announcement of Lagarde has a notorious French Tycoon in a French judicial inquiry into his alleged involvement in cash.

According to the allegations, Lagarde mediated in 2007 a case between Bernard Tapie, a former singer and owner of the club of football and French Socialist Minister Bank Credit Lyonnais on sales of Adidas shares in 1993.

The conflict ended in 2008 with Tapie, a former bankrupt who was imprisoned in the 1990s for games rigged, granted EUR 285 million.

The members of the opposition of the Socialist Party (PS) have called for a judicial inquiry, and a select panel of judges has until mid-June to decide whether an investigation should be launched.

But while he was Finance Minister Lagarde decision, some members of the opposition believe Sarkozy was behind it, and that he was using Lagarde reward Tapie to support his presidential candidacy in 2007.

LaGarde Wednesday dismissed the charges, insisting on the fact that it was "a perfectly clear conscience".

Strauss-Kahn situation comes timely to Nicolas Sarkozy, who will have to face a presidential election in a year. Known by its initials DSK and of which the legal process is closely monitored in France, the former head of the IMF was tipped to win primary American style of PS later this year as the candidate with the best chance to beat Sarkozy in the vote.

DSK is believed to be about to announce his candidacy in the presidential election, when he was arrested in New York.

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