(Telecompaper) A French judge has put France Telecom-Orange CEO Stephane Richard under formal investigation over his role in a case under the previous government, when he was head of cabinet for then finance minister Christine Lagarde. The official charge is "organised fraud". Richard's counsel said he would appeal this "insulting" and "grotesque" charge. Finance minister Pierre Moscovici said the operator's board would be responsible for deciding Richard's fate, and that the government's three representatives would vote in the company's best interests. Richard has been France Telecom's CEO since 2010, and his term ends in May 2014.