A French court has handed down prison sentences and forced restitution to 8 men who were confidants and estate managers of multi-billionaire Liliane Bettencourt. The court stated that the men took advantage of Mrs. Bettencourt’s confusion and and reduced faculties caused by her dementia and Alzheimer. The stiffest penalty, three years in prison and restitution up to 160 million Euros, was given to photographer Francois-Marie Banier who has been accused of taking improper gifts worth upwards of 400 million Euros. These are just the latest casualties in the tangled affairs of Mrs. Bettencourt with former French President Nichloas Sarkozy, at one time, being charged with taking illegal donations from the estate.
See Jordane Bertrand, Eight convicted of fleecing French billionaire L’Oreal heiress, Yahoo News, May 28, 2015.
