Keypoints:
- Paris court gives Sarkozy five-year sentence
- Linked to alleged Libyan campaign financing
- Two former aides also convicted
A PARIS criminal court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy tied to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 presidential campaign.
The ruling on Thursday concluded a long-running investigation into claims that the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi secretly channelled money to Sarkozy’s victorious bid for the Élysée. The 70-year-old politician, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Custody and appeal
Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy should be placed in custody at a later date, giving prosecutors one month to inform him when he must report to prison. The order stands even if Sarkozy lodges an appeal. He was also fined €100,000 (about $117,000).
Although the court acquitted Sarkozy of corruption, embezzlement of Libyan public funds and illegal campaign financing, it ruled that he allowed close allies to approach Libyan officials for financial support on his behalf.
Key figures and evidence
The prosecution argued that Sarkozy’s circle made a pact with Gaddafi in 2005 to secure illicit campaign funds two years later. Evidence included statements from seven former Libyan officials, trips to Libya by Sarkozy confidants, financial transfers and notes from former Libyan oil minister Shukri Ghanem, who was found drowned in Vienna in 2012.
Two former aides were convicted alongside Sarkozy. Claude Guéant, his long-time lieutenant, was found guilty of passive corruption and document falsification, while ex-minister Brice Hortefeux was convicted of criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign treasurer, Eric Woerth, was acquitted.
High-profile twists
The verdict came just two days after the death in Beirut of Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman who once alleged he delivered up to €5 million from Gaddafi to Sarkozy and his chief of staff. Takieddine later retracted and then partly reversed his claims, sparking a separate probe into alleged witness tampering involving Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who accompanied him in court.
Pattern of legal troubles
This latest conviction adds to a string of legal setbacks for Sarkozy. He previously received a one-year sentence for graft, which he served partly under electronic monitoring, and another one-year term—half suspended—for illegal campaign financing in the so-called Bygmalion affair. Both convictions are under appeal, and he was stripped of France’s prestigious Legion of Honour following the graft case.
Despite his legal woes, Sarkozy remains a prominent figure on France’s political right and continues to wield influence, reportedly maintaining regular contact with President Emmanuel Macron.
