IMF Chief Christine Lagarde convicted over payout

   A French court has found International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde guilty of negligence but ruled that she would not be penalised.

     As French finance minister in 2008, she approved an award of €404m to businessman Bernard Tapie for the disputed sale of a firm.

    Lagarde was not present in the court in Paris for the verdict, having left France for Washington.

On Friday she told the trial she had always acted in good faith.

    Her lawyer said his team would look into appealing against yesterday's verdict, reports say.

You would recall that Lagarde, 60, was tried by the Court of Justice of the Republic, CJR, on charges of "negligence by a person in position of public authority".