French rogue trader leaves jail with electronic tag
PARIS (Reuters) - The French trader Jerome Kerviel, jailed for losing his bank billions of euros in 2008, left prison on parole on Monday after serving just over 150 days of a three-year sentence.
The 37-year-old, who lost Societe Generale 4.9 billion euros (£3.9 billion) in 2008 after a huge pileup of trades went wrong, said he was "super-happy" to be leaving his cell for a Paris flat where he can live under evening curfew rules.
He fought one legal battle after another against his former employer since the debacle, which came as high-flying bankers fell into disrepute during a financial crisis that sparked the worst global downturn since the Great Depression.
"That fight goes on," Kerviel, who must wear an electronic tracking bracelet and stay at home between 8.30 p.m. and 7 a.m., said as he left the Fleury-Merogis prison south of Paris.
He was initially sentenced to five years in jail - two of them suspended - and to a fine of 4.9 billion euros that equated with the loss Societe Generale posted. That fine was later struck down after an appeal.
He is expected to take up a job with a software consultancy.
(Reporting by Pauline Mevel and Morade Azzouz; Writing by Brian Love)
