IMF says its board not yet briefed on Lagarde investigation

The IMF's board has not yet been briefed about the latest development in the political fraud affair in France that has ensnared the Fund's chief Christine Lagarde, an IMF spokesman said on Thursday.

Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, on Wednesday said she plans to appeal the decision to put her under formal investigation by French magistrates for alleged negligence in a case dating from 2008 when she was finance minister.

"The managing director has returned to work here at the fund, and we do anticipate that there will be another briefing at the board," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters, declining to provide further details. "We expect that to be very soon." (Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)