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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared U.S. teens ignore laws against texting while driving 12:11pm EST "Avatar" wows early movie reviewers 10 Dec 2009 Governor Sanford's wife files for divorce 12:37pm EST UPDATE 1-ABC to tap Stephanopoulos as co-anchor of 'GMA' 09 Dec 2009 Russian nuclear missile test fails, visible in Norway | Video 10 Dec 2009 U.S. teens ignore laws against texting while driving 12:11pm EST U.S. apartment occupancy, rent to stay weak in '10: report 12:19am EST "Avatar" wows early movie reviewers 10 Dec 2009 Sugar with hugs relieve newborn pain 10 Dec 2009 Alcohol may raise chances of breast cancer return 1:27pm EST Trial ordered over aged French billionaire's gifts Estelle Shirbon NANTERRE, France Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:19pm EST Related News Huge gifts cause legal trouble for L'Oreal heiress Wed, Dec 2 2009 NANTERRE, France (Reuters) - A French celebrity photographer will face a criminal trial over accusations that he extorted gifts worth 1 billion euros ($1.5 billion) from the elderly heiress to the L'Oreal fortune, a court ruled on Friday. World Liliane Bettencourt, 87, one of the richest women in the world, says she was in full possession of her wits when she lavished cash, properties, artworks and life insurance on her close friend Francois-Marie Banier, 62, over several years. But her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers, says Banier took advantage of her mother's declining mental faculties. The daughter has been fighting for two years to have Banier charged with "abuse of weakness," against her mother's will. Both women are major shareholders and board members at cosmetics giant L'Oreal, though they are not on speaking terms. "Should a daughter who sees her weakening mother under the power of a predator, a man doing everything he can to break the bond of filial love, say nothing, do nothing?" lawyer Olivier Metzner, representing the middle-aged daughter, asked the court. Georges Kiejman, representing Bettencourt, hit back that the old lady, though deaf, was so alert that Metzner would have trouble keeping up with her witty repartee. "I am here to say on behalf of Mrs Bettencourt: 'That's enough! I am not a vegetable. You will not bend me to your will'," Kiejman told the court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. SOUL MATE The hearing was called to examine whether the allegation by Bettencourt-Meyers was enough to bring Banier to trial, given that state prosecutors had previously declined to press charges. One of the reasons why prosecutors have been reluctant to take up the case is that Bettencourt has repeatedly refused to submit to an independent examination of her mental health. Judge Isabelle Prevost-Deprez ordered Bettencourt to submit to tests by three named neurological and psychiatric experts who were required to produce a report on her mental faculties by March 10. The judge set a trial date for April 15-16. The decision came after two and a half hours of a theatrical hearing during which the private life of Bettencourt was laid bare in humiliating detail as statements from a former cleaning lady, an ex-secretary and a nurse were read out. "This is a foul dredging up of private acts that have no place in a public courtroom," said Banier's lawyer Herve Temime. None of the protagonists were present in court. Their lawyers were three of the most high-profile in France. "Francois-Marie Banier will not lose a word of this trial and will be delighted to participate, for he is impatient to clear his name of these calumnies," said Temime. The dashing Banier has been a fixture in fashionable Paris circles since he was a teenager, making friends with famous writers, rich patrons of the arts and other celebrities. Bettencourt's lawyer said the daughter, who had always had troubled relations with her mother, was jealous of the fun-loving Banier's friendship with the older woman. He also accused the daughter of seeking to control her mother's wealth. He said the billionaire heiress considered Banier a soul mate and their platonic relationship was one of deep trust. "I can assure you that Mrs Bettencourt did not rush into the arms of Mr Banier, who would have been horrified if she had." (Editing by Robin Pomeroy) World Add a Comment More from Reuters Tech solutions to climate change Experts say there is no single answer to solving global warming, but a handful of technologies could be promising. Check out some of the candidates and join the debate. Full Article Climate conference Pay cuts, round two Pay czar Kenneth Feinberg cracked the whip in his latest round of compensation rulings, slimming the salaries of top-tier earners at bailed-out companies. Full Article Goldman execs to take stock bonuses Citi plans $15 billion offering: sources Executive compensation "Deflation is with us" Fear of the market abyss has faded for investors, but another fear is lurking on the horizon, if not already here. Full Article Commodities correction "just a phase" Dollar seen as a carry currency in 2010 Investment Outlook Summit © Copyright 2009 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts.com Buyouts Europe: Buyouts Conferences: Venture Capital Journal ECVJ International Financing Review International Securitisation Report Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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