Arrest in Philippines changes corruption case against Dumas

When France's biggest financial scandal broke at the state-owned Elf Aquitaine company in 1994, its former number two, Mr Alfred Sirven, was several times heard to boast: "I've got them all. I can blow up the Republic 20 times!"

Mr Sirven (74) has been on the run for 4-1/2 years. Yesterday morning, the French police caught up with him at number 44 Chico Street, in the Manila suburb of Tagay-Tay. He and Ms Vilma Medina, a young Filipina who had been his housekeeper, moved around the Philippines together for several years, protected by her extended family who are prominent members of an evangelical sect. Filipino authorities were expected to put Mr Sirven on a special flight to Paris last night.

The arrest of Alfred Sirven totally alters the corruption trial of the former French foreign minister, Mr Roland Dumas, and his long-time mistress, Ms Christine Deviers-Joncour. The trial, which mesmerised France for the past two weeks, was to have ended next week with the prosecutor's summation and defence lawyers' speeches.

But next Monday's session has been suspended and a further postponement is likely. "It is unimaginable that the trial could continue," Ms Sophie Bottai, the lawyer for Ms Deviers-Joncour said. "Most of the accused have held Mr Sirven responsible for all of the wrongdoing at Elf." Mr Sirven was the subject of three international arrest warrants for the embezzlement of public funds and was on trial in absentia along with Mr Dumas, Ms Deviers-Joncour and four others. Investigators say Mr Sirven diverted Ffr 3 billion (£360 million) from Elf during his four-year stint as "director of general affairs". Half of that amount went into Swiss bank accounts controlled by Mr Sirven, who was the right-hand man and confidant of Elf's chairman, Mr Loik Le FlochPrigent.

Lawyers for Mr Sirven's six co-defendants said their clients were pleased that he was in custody. But at least two - Mr Dumas and Mr Le Floch - could be destroyed by Mr Sirven's testimony. Mr Sirven ran Mr Le Floch's campaign to be named chairman of Elf by the late president Mitterrand. In 1988, Mr Sirven allegedly promised Mr Dumas, a close friend of Mr Mitterrand, generous rewards if he used his influence to have Mr Mr Le Floch appointed.

Trial witnesses claimed Mr Sirven told them that Mr Dumas asked him to "hire" Ms Deviers-Joncour, who received more than Ffr 64 million (£7.68 million) from the company. In his own defence, Mr Le Floch blamed the absent Mr Sirven for the corruption at Elf.

In addition to his largesse to Mr Dumas's mistress, Mr Sirven is reported to have distributed Ffr 230 million (£27.61 million) in cash bribes in France. He arranged phoney Elf jobs for members of the entourage of the right-wing politician, Mr Charles Pasqua, as well as numerous Mitterrand socialists.