French right-wing power broker jailed

PARIS: A French court on Friday jailed for four years a right-wing power broker who for decades along with his wife dominated politics in a wealthy suburb of Paris on charges of hiding millions of euros worth of assets from the tax authorities.

The Paris tribunal convicted Patrick Balkany and ordered his immediate arrest. His wife Isabelle Balkany was given a three-year jail term but not immediately placed under arrest, as is often the case in France for short sentences.

In dramatic courtroom scenes, police arrested Balkany, 71, to begin serving his term as the verdict was being read out and his wife looked on, an AFP correspondent said. The pair were also banned from holding office for 10 years. The trial had captivated France where it was seen as a test of the ability of the courts to hold well-connected and long-established power players to account.