Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Paris court for his involvement in alleged illegal campaign financing from the government of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. This decision marks the first time a modern French ex-president has received a prison sentence. Despite Sarkozy’s plans to appeal, the court ruled that he would be incarcerated, with the specific date yet to be determined, sparing him the immediate humiliation of being taken into custody from the courtroom.
The court found Sarkozy guilty of criminal association in a scheme spanning 2005 to 2007 to fund his successful election campaign using Libyan funds in exchange for diplomatic favors. However, he was acquitted of other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealing misappropriated public funds. Sarkozy maintained his innocence, stating, “If they insist on sending me to prison, I will go. But I am innocent. This injustice is a scandal.”
Close aides of Sarkozy during his presidency, Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, were also found guilty of criminal association by the court. The ruling implied that while there was a conspiracy to seek Libyan funding for Sarkozy’s campaign, there was uncertainty about whether the former president was directly involved or if any Libyan money was ultimately used.
The court’s decision stemmed from allegations dating back to 2011 when Libyan sources claimed to have funneled millions of euros into Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. However, a document cited by Mediapart indicating a 50 million-euro funding agreement was deemed likely forged by the court.
Separately, an investigation into alleged witness tampering involving Sarkozy and his wife is ongoing. One of the co-defendants in this case, Ziad Takieddine, passed away this week, shortly before the trial. Takieddine had previously claimed to have transported cash from Libya to France under Sarkozy’s instructions but later retracted his statement.
The trial shed light on France’s diplomatic relations with Libya in the 2000s, a time when Gadhafi sought to mend ties with Western nations. Sarkozy dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and based on fabricated evidence, suggesting they were retaliation for his advocacy of military intervention in Libya during the Arab Spring protests.
Sarkozy’s legal troubles extend beyond this case, including a prior conviction for corruption and influence peddling in 2014. He was also found guilty of illegal campaign financing in a separate case related to his 2012 re-election bid. Despite facing these legal challenges, Sarkozy has consistently denied any wrongdoing and appealed the previous convictions.
