At 78 years old, Bernard Tapie comes back down to the legal arena.
His appeal trial, for suspicion of fraud in the controversial arbitration case of 2008 supposed to settle his interminable dispute with Credit Lyonnais, restarts on Monday.
A few days after its opening in October, it had been fired, an expert opinion having concluded that the businessman and former Minister of the City was not in a state to appear.
Fighting against cancer and victim with his wife in early April of a violent burglary at his home, Bernard Tapie will nevertheless be present in court, said his lawyer Me Hervé Temime.
This trial is the criminal part of the case in which Bernard Tapie is suspected of having "rigged" the private arbitration which concluded that the former public bank was "at fault" and awarded the entrepreneur 403 million d 'euros, including 45 million for non-pecuniary damage.
A decision finally overturned for "fraud" in 2015.
Read also Adidas-Credit Lyonnais affair: eight dates to understand everything
At first instance, the court had acquitted Bernard Tapie, considering that nothing in the file could confirm the existence of “fraudulent maneuvers”, just like his five co-defendants including the boss of Orange Stéphane Richard.
The prosecution, which had required five years firm against Bernard Tapie and prison terms against four other defendants, had appealed.
Hence the second trial which resumes this Monday.
The debates must end no later than June 14.
The decision will then be put under advisement.
But that will not be the end of this interminable affair.
Because the amount of the debt of Bernard Tapie, after the cancellation of the arbitration by civil justice, is still the subject of discussions.
The Paris Court of Appeal estimated last year that it amounted to 438 million euros, but the former president of the OM appealed in cassation.
He also appealed after the placement of his companies in compulsory liquidation in 2020 which paved the way for the sale of his property and a potential reimbursement.
A hearing is scheduled for September.