In a fresh round of rumors about the forthcoming Apple tablet computer, which likely will be announced later this month, France Telecom deputy chief executive Stéphane Richard inadvertently “confirmed” that the rumored device will be accessible by customers of the France telecom-owned carrier, Orange.

During the course of a recent interview with Jean Pierre Elkabbach, Richard replied to the reporter’s question, about the accessibility of the Apple tablet device by Orange subscribers, saying “Bien sûr,” which means “Of course!”

However, the PR team at Orange was quick to cover up Richard’s inadvertent confirmation of the Apple tablet. Resorting to typical PR denials, the team said that Richard’s comments, which were based on the speculations making rounds about the Apple device, were not only poorly translated but also taken out of context.

An Orange PR told mobile news site MocoNews: “The spokesperson was merely confirming that he is aware of the speculation surrounding a launch and that Orange would be delighted to have such a product were it ever to be available.”

Whatever the Orange PR executives may say, Richard’s ‘slip of tongue’ kind of confirmation about the Apple device is not the first such episode – there have been earlier statements too that have accidentally let out the news about the tablet device which, analysts expect, will be formally announced at Apple’s end-of-the-month media event.