Former right -wing French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in trial with 11 others including former ministers for allegations of illegal financing for his 2007 presidential campaign by Libyan leader Muhammar Gadhafi.
The trial, which began on Monday, includes charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, embezzlement of public funds, and criminal association.
The trial includes 11 other defendants, among them three former ministers. Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, alleged to be an intermediary, has fled to Lebanon and is not expected to appear in court.
Sarkozy denies any misconduct and faces a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The case first surfaced in March 2011 when a Libyan news agency claimed the Gaddafi government funded Sarkozy’s campaign.
In a statement, Gaddafi claimed, “it’s thanks to us that he reached the presidency. We provided him with the funds that allowed him to win,” although he did not specify any amounts or details.
Sarkozy, who had warmly welcomed Gaddafi to Paris in 2007, was among the first Western leaders to advocate for military intervention in Libya in March 2011 during the Arab Spring protests.
Gaddafi was killed by opposition forces in October of that year, marking the end of his 40-year rule in Libya.
The following year, the French news outlet Mediapart published a document purportedly from the Libyan secret services, indicating Gaddafi’s agreement to provide Sarkozy’s campaign with 50 million euros.
However, the declared expenditure for Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign was 20 million euros.
Sarkozy vehemently denied the allegations, labelling the document a “blatant fake” and filing complaints for forgery, concealment, and dissemination of false information.
In 2016, French investigative magistrates concluded that the document in question possesses all the traits of authenticity, though there remains no conclusive proof that the transaction actually occurred.
Sarkozy has faced convictions in two other scandals, but the Libyan case seems poised to have the most profound impact on his legacy.
In February of the previous year, a Paris appeals court ruled Sarkozy guilty of unlawful campaign financing related to his unsuccessful 2012 re-election attempt.
Source: Africanews
