IN BRIEF : French Official Resigns in Scandal

A top French civil servant who has become embroiled in an insider-trading scandal resigned today and will go to court to defend his name, the Finance Ministry said.

Alain Boublil, senior adviser to Finance Minister Pierre Beregovoy, had been under mounting pressure to resign over the controversial takeover of New York-based Triangle Industries Inc. by the state-owned French Pechiney group.

Beregovoy, who met his closest aide privately just before news of the resignation, had already signaled clearly that Boublil had little choice.

“He must be able to speak publicly, which in his present function is not easy for him to do. He is the victim of a campaign of rumors,” the minister told the French radio station Europe 1 in an interview today.

French officials are forbidden to make public statements. By resigning, Boublil, who has so far stayed silent throughout the Pechiney affair, will be able to answer his critics.

Boublil, 42, was among several people, including a friend of President Francois Mitterrand, said by the French press to be under investigation over the Pechiney affair.

The scandal broke after the Securities and Exchange Commission reported unusual buying in Triangle shares just before the $1.26-billion takeover in November.