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Lawyer: SocGen 'Condoned' Trader's Deals

Bank couldn't have missed billions in moves: Kerviel's rep

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 15, 2008 11:26 AM CST

(Newser) – The French trader who lost Société Générale $7.2 billion acted with the tacit support of the banking giant's management, which "condoned" his trades, Jérôme Kerviel's lawyer says. The assertion contradicts executives' claims that Kerviel acted alone. "Jérôme is a smart trader, but not smarter than any other guy at SocGen," the lawyer told CNN.

His accounts were nearly $2 billion in the red in June and $1 billion in the black in December—figures so large his supervisors had to be aware of his actions, Guillaume Selnet says. "When you find the bank condoned what Jerome did for more than two years, I don't know if you can still state that he acted alone,"  he said.

A woman braves the wind outside the bank headquarters, Wednesday Jan. 30, 2008 in La Defense, outside Paris.
A woman braves the wind outside the bank headquarters, Wednesday Jan. 30, 2008 in La Defense, outside Paris.   (Associated Press)
View of the French bank Societe Generale headquarters in Paris suburb La Defense, Monday Feb.11, 2008. French bank Societe Generale SA hopes to raise euro 5.5 billion (nearly US$8 billion) in a heavily discounted rights issue launched Monday, designed to fill a gap in funds blamed on a...
View of the French bank Societe Generale headquarters in Paris suburb La Defense, Monday Feb.11, 2008. French bank Societe Generale SA hopes to raise euro 5.5 billion (nearly US$8 billion) in a heavily...   (Associated Press)
In this pool photo made available Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, French trader Jerome Kerviel is seen at his lawyer Elisabeth Meyer's office in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. Potential legal troubles for French bank Societe Generale have expanded to the United States and the futures trader allegedly at the root...
In this pool photo made available Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, French trader Jerome Kerviel is seen at his lawyer Elisabeth Meyer's office in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. Potential legal troubles for French...   (Associated Press)
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