Jérôme Kerviel, the trader accused of fake transactions costing Société Générale billions of euros, on Tuesday broke his silence to insist he would not be used as a “scapegoat”.

In his first public comments in nearly two weeks, Mr Kerviel told Agence France Presse he had been “singled out” by the bank. “I am taking my share of responsibility, but I will not be the scapegoat for Société Générale.”