ci ani , ▁who ▁fled ▁to ▁Leb anon ▁with ▁the ▁attempt ▁to ▁sell ▁it . ▁Later ▁he ▁handed ▁it ▁to ▁French ▁authorities ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁Investig ation ▁in ▁France ▁ ▁The ▁case ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁French ▁pro sec utors ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁they ▁have ▁since ▁concentr ated ▁their ▁investig ations ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁“ F al ci ani ▁lists ” ▁– ▁the ▁around ▁ 3 ' 0 0 0 ▁French ▁citizens ▁sus pected ▁of ▁having ▁conce aled ▁their ▁money ▁at ▁H SB C ▁Private ▁Bank ▁( S uis se ) ▁with ▁the ▁bank ' s ▁coll usion . ▁The ▁bank ▁has ▁de ▁fact o ▁been ▁placed ▁under ▁formal ▁investigation ▁as ▁a ▁legal ▁entity ▁for ▁“ ill ic it ▁s elling ▁of ▁bank ing ▁and ▁financial ▁services ” ▁and ▁“ m oney ▁la und ering ▁of ▁the ▁proceed s ▁of ▁tax ▁ev asion ”. ▁ ▁H SB C ▁P B ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁conce aled ▁over ▁€ 5 . 7 ▁billion ▁in ▁tax ▁ha vens ▁for ▁its ▁French ▁clients ▁alone . ▁The ▁French ▁Fin ance ▁Ministry ▁took ▁ 7 2 ▁individuals ▁to ▁court ▁( including ▁N ina ▁Ric ci ’ s ▁he ir , ▁Ar lette ▁Ric ci ), ▁as ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁tax pay ers ▁whose ▁identity ▁was ▁revealed ▁in ▁the ▁Fal ci ani ▁lists ▁have ▁since ▁regular ised ▁their ▁tax ▁affairs . ▁ ▁Le ▁Monde ▁has ▁been ▁investig ating ▁the ▁H SB C ▁affair ▁since