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PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have called onjudges to confirm a one-billion-euro bail on HSBC Holdings to cover a potential fine over allegations that thebank helped customers dodge tax, a judicial source said onTuesday.
The call came after HSBC appealed the bail, which it hascalled excessive. Magistrates are now due to decide whether toconfirm it on June 15, with payment due by June 20.
HSBC declined to comment.
The amount of the deposit is almost half of the scale of thealleged fraud by HSBC's Swiss unit, one source familiar with thematter told Reuters previously.
The source said HSBC contests that figure, and the bank hasalways disputed the number of clients the French authoritieshave claimed its Swiss bank had.
HSBC would be the second big bank to have a hefty bailimposed on it by French magistrates in the last year, afterSwitzerland's UBS had to provide 1.1 billion euro tothe court to cover a potential fine for alleged moneylaundering. UBS's appeal against that bond was dismissed.
Under French court process, companies can be ordered to posta deposit when they are put under formal investigation, even ifcharges are not brought. (Reporting by Chine Labbé, writing by Astrid Wendlandt, editingby Mark John)