E-Paper
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to 5 years in prison in Libya campaign case
Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of making a deal with Gaddafi to obtain campaign financing in exchange for supporting the then-isolated Libyan government.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday was sentenced to five years in prison after a Paris court found him guilty of conspiring criminally with Libya over illegal election campaign funding.
The court spared the 70-year-old the humiliation of being marched out of the courtroom by police officers by saying that the date of his incarceration will be decided later.
However, in a major surprise, the judge said that Sarkozy will be imprisoned even if he appeals.
Sarkozy was found guilty on a key charge of acquiring illegal financing from the then-Libyan government of leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign.
ALSO READ | Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his legal battles over the years
He reportedly took money from Libya in a criminal association plot from 2005 to 2007 to finance his campaigns in exchange for diplomatic favours.
The Paris court cleared Sarkozy of the three other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds, The Associated Press reported.
Additionally, two of Sarkozy's close associates from his presidential era, former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, were also found guilty of criminal association.
The men conspired to seek Libyan funding for Sarkozy's 2007 campaign, but the judges weren't convinced that the conservative leader was directly involved in the funding effort or that any Libyan money was actually used in his winning presidential campaign.
ALSO READ | Former France prez Sarkozy convicted for illegally financing 2012 election bid
In his verdict, the chief judge said that Nicolas Sarkozy allowed his close aides to reach out to Libyan officials “to obtain or try to obtain financial support in Libya for the purpose of securing campaign financing.”
The court clearly stated that it couldn't be sure that the Libyan money ended up being used in Sarkozy's campaign. It went on to explain that, however, as per French law, a corrupt scheme can still be a crime even if money was not paid or cannot be proven.
During the hearing and sentencing, Sarkozy was also accompanied by his wife, the singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, in the courtroom.
After being elected in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy lost his bid for reelection in 2012. He has denied all the charges levelled against him during the three-month trial earlier this year.
'Will fight until the end'
After the court's verdict, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said the ruling poses "extremely serious" concerns about the current state of law in France.
He said the Paris court's ruling undermines confidence in the French justice system. Sarkozy affirmed his "innocence", adding that he will appeal against this ruling.
Sarkozy said "this ruling means those who convicted me want to see me sleep in prison as soon as possible".
"I will fight right after until the end to prove my innocence in this affair," the former French president affirmed.
(with inputs from agencies)
