French bank denies state role in EADS stake buy

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French state bank Caisse des Depots

(CDC) on Saturday reiterated that it did not seek or obtain approval from the French state before buying a stake in European aerospace group EADS in 2006.

"The Caisse des Depots reaffirms that it neither asked for no received authorisation from the state to buy EADS shares," the bank said in a statement.

Private shareholders and executives sold shares in EADS, which is 15 percent owned by the French state, shortly before its planemaking unit Airbus admitted production problems in June 2006, leading to a sharp fall in EADS's share price.

France's stock market regulator this week passed a report on possible insider trading to the public prosecutor's office.

((Reporting by Jon Boyle; Editing by xx xxx; jon.boyle@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jon.boyle.reuters.com@reuters.net; +33-1 49 49 53 42)) Keywords: EADS INSIDERDEALING/

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