French rogue trader Jerome Kerviel has said that he won’t return to France to serve his three-year prison sentence unless he hears from President Francois Hollande.

Kerviel, 37, was convicted in 2010 for losing his bank, Societe Generale, €4.9 billion because of fraudulent trading.

He lost an appeal in March, but the judge at the hearing did scrap the order for him to repay the money he had lost the bank.

The banker was expected to return to France from Italy on Saturday, and was walking towards the border from Rome, but stopped a short distance short of the border to tell reporters that he would not return to face his sentence unless he hears from Hollande.

He hopes that the president will grant immunity to witnesses who he says could testify on his behalf, but have been afraid to do so.

Kerviel is required to report to French police by Sunday afternoon.