Sarkozy Denies Libyan Financing Claims, Calls Case a 'Conspiracy'
Nicolas Sarkozy faces charges of illegal campaign financing over his 2007 presidential bid, but vehemently denies the allegations, calling them a fabrication.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, appeared in court in Paris on Thursday to deny allegations that he received illicit campaign financing from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential bid.
The trial stems from a decade-long investigation into claims that Sarkozy brokered a deal with Gaddafi to secure millions of euros in exchange for helping ease Libya’s international isolation.
Sarkozy, 69, rejected the charges, calling them a 'conspiracy' and insisting that not a single cent from Libya was used in his campaign.
'You will never, never find a Libyan euro, not even a Libyan cent in my campaign,' Sarkozy stated in his opening remarks.
He faces charges of concealing embezzlement of public funds, illegal campaign financing, and criminal conspiracy, with the potential for up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The case revolves around a document published by French investigative website Mediapart in 2013, which allegedly outlined a 2006 deal between Sarkozy and Gaddafi.
According to the document, the Libyan regime promised Sarkozy financial support in exchange for political favors.
Sarkozy dismissed the document as a 'crude forgery' and expressed his frustration with what he described as a lack of tangible evidence after years of investigation.
'The corruption money is the great missing piece of the trial, because there is no corruption,' he claimed.
Among the 12 others on trial are some of Sarkozy’s closest allies, including former interior minister Claude Gueant, ex-campaign manager Eric Woerth, and former interior minister Brice Hortefeux.
All three have denied any wrongdoing.
The trial, which is expected to run until April 10, is part of a series of legal challenges faced by Sarkozy in recent years.
In 2021, he was convicted for corruption and influence peddling, though he avoided jail time by being ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for one year.
If found guilty in the Libyan financing case, Sarkozy faces the possibility of 10 years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros ($386,000).
As the trial continues, critics, including the anti-corruption NGO Sherpa, have raised concerns about Sarkozy's defense strategy, warning that his claims of a conspiracy could undermine his case when weighed against the evidence presented in court.
The trial stems from a decade-long investigation into claims that Sarkozy brokered a deal with Gaddafi to secure millions of euros in exchange for helping ease Libya’s international isolation.
Sarkozy, 69, rejected the charges, calling them a 'conspiracy' and insisting that not a single cent from Libya was used in his campaign.
'You will never, never find a Libyan euro, not even a Libyan cent in my campaign,' Sarkozy stated in his opening remarks.
He faces charges of concealing embezzlement of public funds, illegal campaign financing, and criminal conspiracy, with the potential for up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The case revolves around a document published by French investigative website Mediapart in 2013, which allegedly outlined a 2006 deal between Sarkozy and Gaddafi.
According to the document, the Libyan regime promised Sarkozy financial support in exchange for political favors.
Sarkozy dismissed the document as a 'crude forgery' and expressed his frustration with what he described as a lack of tangible evidence after years of investigation.
'The corruption money is the great missing piece of the trial, because there is no corruption,' he claimed.
Among the 12 others on trial are some of Sarkozy’s closest allies, including former interior minister Claude Gueant, ex-campaign manager Eric Woerth, and former interior minister Brice Hortefeux.
All three have denied any wrongdoing.
The trial, which is expected to run until April 10, is part of a series of legal challenges faced by Sarkozy in recent years.
In 2021, he was convicted for corruption and influence peddling, though he avoided jail time by being ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for one year.
If found guilty in the Libyan financing case, Sarkozy faces the possibility of 10 years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros ($386,000).
As the trial continues, critics, including the anti-corruption NGO Sherpa, have raised concerns about Sarkozy's defense strategy, warning that his claims of a conspiracy could undermine his case when weighed against the evidence presented in court.
