PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Prosecutors in the price

manipulation and corruption trial of French supermarket group

Casino and its former CEO, have requested a three-year

suspended prison sentence and one-year under house arrest for

Jean-Charles Naouri.

Prosecutors also asked on Thursday evening for Naouri, who

led Casino for three decades, to be fined 2 million euros ($2.3

million) and the Casino group 75 million euros.

"In this case, manipulation is evident at every level," the

public prosecutors said.

Naouri, 76, has denied the charges against him. His lawyers

could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday's

requests from prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege that Naouri - who is accused of organised

market manipulation and corruption - paid a publisher in

2018-2019 to release information defending Casino in a bid to

bolster the share price, which had tumbled in 2018 due to

concerns over its debt.

Prosecutors also allege that Naouri tried to spread

speculation among business media that rival retailer Carrefour

was considering a hostile takeover of Casino.

"The requisitions are not a ruling and these requests are

not binding on the court," the Casino group said in a statement

shared with journalists on Thursday evening after the hearing.

The verdict is expected a few months after a final hearing

that will be held on October 22.

Naouri, who led Casino for 30 years, left the company last

year, when it came under the control of a consortium led by

Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

Casino Group, the company that owns Casino and Monoprix

supermarkets, is also accused of corruption and price

manipulation. In addition to Naouri, three other former company

executives and the publisher Nicolas Miguet are standing trial.

Casino, which has launched a drastic restructuring, said in

its Thursday statement that the prosecutors' requests "do not

take into account the fact that the new Casino no longer has

anything to do in terms of size, financial situation or

governance" with the group led by Naouri. Its lawyers said they

intend to seek "full acquittal".

The group, which also owns Franprix and Naturalia stores,

said that it had sold 366 stores in 2024 and it planned to cut

3,200 jobs.

($1 = 0.8546 euros)

(Reporting by Florence Loeve; Writing by Dominique Vidalon;

Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)