The former head of a French company at the centre of a breast implant scandal affecting tens of thousands of women worldwide has been arrested with his former deputy in south-east France.
Jean-Claude Mas, who founded and ran the now-defunct implant maker Poly Implant Prothese, was detained as part of a judicial investigation in the city of Marseille into manslaughter and involuntary injuries, police said.
The company's former No 2 executive, Claude Couty, was also detained, according to an official.
The arrest was made before dawn at a family home in the Mediterranean resort town of Six Fours Les Plages.
Mas, 72, had been believed to be living in the home. His defence lawyer Yves Haddad has denounced the "numerous un-truths, nonsense and aberrations" in the case, but said Mas would only speak with authorities.
Mas is expected to face preliminary charges after appearing before an investigating judge in Marseille later. He was being held in the resort town ahead of that anticipated transfer.
Investigating judge Annaick Le Goff opened the probe after a woman in the south-western Gers region filed a lawsuit in the wake of the...
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