US tax agency seeks Stanford cash

The US government is asking a judge for permission to go after at least $226.6m (€174.4m) in back taxes, penalties and interest it says are owed by Sir Allen Stanford, the Texas billionaire accused of conducting an €6.1bn investment fraud through an offshore bank.

The Internal Revenue Service tax agency filed a request on Friday with US District Judge David Godbey in Dallas to also order Stanford to file his income tax return for 2007 by April 15.