Germans hope to quiz Elf fugitive

FRANKFURT, Germany -- German investigators hope to question a key figure in France's Elf corruption trial after a court gave them 24 hours to quiz businessman Alfred Sirven.

But it is not clear whether the "man who could bring down the republic," as he has been dubbed, would talk before appearing in a French court.

In Paris, the trial of ex-foreign minister Roland Dumas was postponed on Monday to await the return of Sirven, 74.

He was seized in the Philippines last week and intercepted at Frankfurt airport on arrival from Manila, by German police.

The German court agreed to extradite Sirven, once number two at the French oil company, and are set to hand him over to French officials in Frankfurt at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Tuesday.

But the court gave German officials until then to question him on allegations that Elf bribed the government of then Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the early 1990s when it took over a refinery.

At least one German criminal prosecutor said he had questions for Sirven and parliamentary investigators said they would meet early on Tuesday to decide whether to interrogate him. A number of politicians urged them to take the opportunity.

Although Germany's ARD state television quoted Sirven's German lawyer as saying he was willing to talk, it said it was not clear he would do so just yet. ARD said she told the station Sirven needed to prepare himself "mentally and spiritually."

He has been charged in France with distributing millions of dollars from an Elf slush fund. He was held at Weiterstadt jail near Frankfurt after his arrest ended several years on the run.

Also accused in Paris are Dumas, a close associate of Kohl's long-time ally, the late French President Francois Mitterrand, and Dumas's former mistress, as well as a former head of then state-owned Elf, which is now part of privatised TotalFinaElf.

German prosecutors want to question Sirven about allegations that Elf paid some $37 million in illegal commissions during its 1992 purchase of the decrepit east German oil refinery Leuna from Kohl's government.

Six on trial

Kohl, who faces parliamentary and criminal inquiries into the funding of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and aides to Mitterrand, who died five years ago, have strenuously denied suggestions that Elf was used to channel French cash to bolster Kohl's re-election campaign.

"When we've got the good fortune to land this big fish in Germany it would be absurd to let him go and see if maybe we can interview him in France," Frank Hofmann, the senior Social Democrat on the parliamentary inquiry, told Info Radio.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said criticism from opposition parties over France's handling of the affair would now come to an end, adding: "The bottom line is that Sirven will be in France soon.

"Then he will be able to answer for his acts or at least be questioned by justice officials. That's what counts."

Sirven's German lawyer, Susanne Wagner, has said her client was in good shape and has no objections to travelling to France.

Dumas's lawyer said the next sitting of the Paris trial on Wednesday would decide on an adjournment of five to six weeks to allow Sirven and his lawyers to get to grips with the case.

Dumas, who resigned last year as France's top law officer, is on trial for corruption with six others.

They include Sirven, who until his arrest has been tried in absentia, and a mistress who was on the Elf payroll.

Former Elf boss and co-accused Loik Le Floch-Prigent, has said Mitterrand knew of and tolerated illegal payments.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Dumas trial adjourned after arrest
February 5, 2001
Bribe suspect extradition granted
February 5, 2001
Germany holds key Elf suspect
February 3, 2001
French ex-minister threatens court
January 31, 2001

Elf Aquitaine
French Justice Ministry
German Government and Politics

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