ation for Cancer Research, is accused of embezzling 300 million francs ($47 million) between 1991 and 1995. His lawyer, Jean-Marc Varaut, told a Paris court at the close of a six-week trial that Crozemarie "had some perquisites, he perhaps accepted them…But these perquisites are collateral damage in the battle against cancer." A verdict in the case is due on October 19. Prosecutors said he used the money to pay for luxury renovation work on his Riviera villas, lavish holidays and salaries for girlfriends and household employees who performed no work for the association. Crozemarie, ARC president for 33 years beginning in 1962, spent six months in pre-trial detention in 1996 after being accused of milking ARC for millions through false invoices to a public relations company whose executives were in the dock alongside him. He slashed his wrists in a suicide attempt in February after tax authorities seized his assets. Varaut, in closing arguments, said the sums of money missing from the association‘s coffers were small compared to the amount raised for cancer research while his client was its president. "Don‘t tell me that he killed off hope, you are mathematically in error," the lawyer said. The ARC scandal shocked France, where cancer kills 140,000 people a year. Donations tumbled two-thirds and other medical charities suffered as well. Crozemarie was rushed to hospital two days after the trial opened in May, complaining of heart trouble, but court-appointed medical experts concluded he was healthy enough to face trial. During the trial, he frequently exploded in anger and shouted insults at court president Sophie Portier. The state prosecutor has asked the court to give Crozemarie the maximum sentence of five years in jail and suggested it be applied immediately rather than waiting for him to exhaust his appeals.