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Alleged Renault spies fight back
Name clearing legal battle begins
Two of the three senior Renault executives accused of industrial espionage have started legal action to clear their names.
The three were suspended without pay by Renault earlier this month. All three have now been dismissed by Renault.
The car giant accused them of spying on development of its electric vehicles, with some reports claiming Chinese companies made payments to the three and received information in exchange.
Michel Balthazard, previously head of Renault's long term development, and his colleague Bertrand Rochette have filed criminal complaints against Renault. Rochette is also suing the firm for defamation.
The third man is also believed to be preparing a legal complaint, the BBC reports.
A lawyer for one of the men told the Beeb that the dismissal letter included allegations that he had received bribes - the complaint seeks to find the source for this claim. ®