Ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial over claims Libya's Gaddafi financed campaign
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France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy has gone on trial over allegations of having received millions from Libya's former dictator Moammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy, who was president of France between 2007 and 2012, arrived at the court in Paris to face what is considered to be the biggest scandal to engulf the former leader yet.
Sarkozy, who has already been convicted in two other cases, faces charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds and criminal association, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The 69-year-old, who is married to former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, has denied any wrongdoing.
Sarkozy is looking forward to the hearings "with determination", his lawyer Christophe Ingrain said in a statement. "There is no Libyan financing of the campaign," the statement said. "We want to believe the court will have the courage to examine the facts objectively, without being guided by the nebulous theory that poisoned the investigation.".
Anti-corruption groups Sherpa, Anticor and Transparency International joined the proceedings, stressing in a statement that "this alleged illegal financing shows the mechanisms of cross-border corruption, which deprives civilian populations of essential public resources by siphoning funds for the benefit of private and political interests".
