City man accused of false threat

A senior City banker has been accused of making a false bomb threat at London City Airport, it emerged today.

Eric Suschetet, a managing director of leading American investment bank Bear Stearns International, could face up to seven years' imprisonment after allegedly telling an Air France official that there was a bomb on his plane after he was told he was too late to board it.

The 38-year-old banker was allegedly not allowed to board the 50-seater aircraft, which was headed for Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, when he arrived after boarding had finished and the gates closed.

He allegedly then falsely told Air France duty manager Steve Cordeschi that there was an explosive device on board. Police were called to the airport at the Royal Docks and Mr Suschetet was questioned.

The aircraft was grounded, all passengers taken off, and the airport was evacuated following the incident on 23 March this year. Mr Suschetet, of Canary Riverside-is due to appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday charged with communicating false information of a bomb threat, an offence under the Criminal Law Act.

He denies the charge, but could face up to seven years' imprisonment or be fined up to £5,000.

A spokeswoman for the bank refused to comment on the arrest but confirmed Mr Suschetet was a managing director of the bank in the UK.

Bear Stearns is one of Wall Street's bestknown investment banks, but unlike many of its rivals it has not expanded abroad in an aggressive manner.

Like many of its competitors it has been forced to slash its staff levels since the 11 September attacks, and announced it would lose about 800, or seven per cent of its 11,147 strong workforce. It had already cut 400 jobs in March. Although the vast bulk of these cuts were in the States there were also a few in London.

As of 31 August the bank had total capital of $28.4bn (£20bn) and as of 25 May total assets of $173.0bn. According to the April issue of International Investor magazine, Bear Stearns is the seventh largest securities firm in terms of total capital.

Mr Suschetet's case follows the Home Secretary David Blunkett's announcement that anthrax hoaxers could face prosecution and even jail under new measures being added to the Anti-Terrorism Bill in the wake of the 11 September terror attacks in the US.

News of the arrest comes amid heightened awareness of the problem of bomb and bio-chemical hoaxes. Home Secretary David Blunkett announced at the weekend that anthrax hoaxers could be subject to the same penalties Mr Suschetet himself faces under the additions to the Anti-Terrorism Bill.