New Delhi: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for allegedly taking campaign funds from ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2007.
He was acquitted of three other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealment of embezzled public funds, as per the Associated Press.
The 70-year-old former president was present in court with his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, while his three adult sons also attended the proceedings.
The Charges And Verdict
Sarkozy was accused of orchestrating a scheme from 2005 to 2007 in which his aides sought campaign funds from Libya in exchange for potential diplomatic favours. Prosecutors described the arrangement as a "corruption pact" with Gaddafi's regime.
The court concluded that Sarkozy allowed his close aides to pursue financial support from Libya for his 2007 Presidential campaign, but it could not definitively prove that any Libyan funds were used in his campaign. Under French law, a corrupt scheme is punishable even if money was never transferred.
The criminal association charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Sarkozy was cleared of other major accusations.
Two of Sarkozy's closest aides, former ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, were also found guilty of criminal association but acquitted of other charges.
Businessman Ziad Takieddine, who claimed to deliver cash from Tripoli for Sarkozy's campaign, died in Beirut during the trial.
Takieddine had retracted previous statements implicating Sarkozy, which led to a separate investigation into potential witness tampering.
Background
The case dates back to 2011, when Libya and Gaddafi publicly acknowledged secretly funding Sarkozy's campaign. A 2012 report by French investigative outlet Mediapart cited a Libyan intelligence memo alleging a 50 million-euro funding deal, later deemed likely a forgery by the court, as per Al Jazeera.
The funds were allegedly funnelled through intermediaries and laundered via various channels, including cash deliveries and forged documents. Investigators examined trips to Libya made by Sarkozy's close aides from 2005 to 2007, offshore accounts, and other financial trails, The Guardian reported.
Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations politically motivated.
During his presidency, Sarkozy also played a central role in rehabilitating Libya internationally, welcoming Gaddafi to Paris in 2007 and later supporting NATO's intervention in Libya during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
Previous Legal Troubles
This conviction adds to Sarkozy's existing legal issues:
- 2014: Convicted of corruption and influence peddling; served time under electronic monitoring.
- 2012: Found guilty of illegal campaign financing in his failed reelection bid, exceeding spending limits; appeal pending.
He was also stripped of the Legion of Honour following a prior conviction.
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