Isabelle Balkany absent at start of fraud trial: lawyer A husband-and-wife team who have long dominated politics in a wealthy suburb of Paris have gone on trial today for tax fraud and money laundering. Patrick and Isabelle Balkany are accused of hiding two luxury villas and other assets worth 13 million euros (14.6 million dollars) from tax authorities. Patrick Balkany was not joined by his wife at the start of the six-week trial as she is recovering in hospital from an overdose of prescription medicine. SOUNDBITE from her lawyer