Police protection for trader as bank probe spreads to US

A trader accused of causing huge losses at French bank Societe Generale is under police protection, the country’s finance minister said today, while the bank’s legal troubles have expanded to the United States.

Jerome Kerviel is under police protection because of pressure from “all the people who want to obtain his secrets”, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said on RTL radio. “It is natural that he would be protected.”