Court drops Cresson fraud charges

Cresson said she was delighted by the prosecutor's request

A Belgian court has dropped fraud charges against former French Prime Minister Edith Cresson for lack of evidence, say court officials.

The embezzlement charges related to a scandal that brought down the entire European Commission five years ago.

Ms Cresson, heading education and research in the EU executive, was at the centre of the allegations that forced it to resign.

Ms Cresson, who still faces Commission investigation, had denied the charges.

On Tuesday, the Brussels public prosecutor said there was not enough evidence to support the charges which had brought her to court.

The charges related to business trip costs when Ms Cresson was a member of the European Commission between 1995 and 1999.

Ms Cresson must still appear before the European Union's 30-member executive on Wednesday to give her side of the story.