Ex-France President Sarkozy Faces Trial Over Alleged Campaign Funding by Gadhafi

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, faces trial starting Monday over accusations of illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of Libya’s late leader, Muammar Gadhafi. The trial is set to address charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds, and criminal association. If convicted, Sarkozy could face up to 10 years in prison.

Sarkozy, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, has denied all allegations. His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, maintained that there was no Libyan financing of Sarkozy’s campaign, adding that they are confident the court will objectively assess the facts.

The case traces back to March 2011, when a Libyan news agency reported that the Gadhafi government had financed Sarkozy’s campaign. Gadhafi himself claimed in an interview that his regime provided the funds that helped Sarkozy win the 2007 election. Despite the allegations, Sarkozy consistently rejected any wrongdoing, calling the claims and related documents, including a purported note from the Libyan secret services, forgeries.

French investigators later examined trips made by individuals close to Sarkozy, including his chief of staff, Claude Guéant, to Libya between 2005 and 2007, during Sarkozy’s tenure as interior minister. They also investigated meetings between Guéant and Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman accused of acting as an intermediary. Takieddine himself stated in 2016 that he delivered suitcases containing millions of euros in cash from Libya to Sarkozy’s interior ministry, though he later retracted his statement.

The investigation has also led to accusations of witness tampering, as French magistrates suspect an attempt to influence Takieddine’s testimony. Along with Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been preliminarily charged as prosecutors allege that the former president benefitted from corrupt influences.

Several other figures are implicated, including Takieddine, Franco-Algerian businessman Alexandre Djouhri, Gadhafi’s former chief of staff Bashir Saleh, and former Airbus executive, as well as two Saudi billionaires. Some of these figures have sought refuge in different countries, while others have died under mysterious circumstances.

Sarkozy’s involvement in this case could have a significant impact on his political legacy. Besides the Libyan case, Sarkozy has already been convicted in two other scandals, including a corruption case that led to a one-year house arrest sentence. Furthermore, an appeal court in Paris found him guilty of illegal campaign financing related to his failed 2012 reelection bid.

The ongoing trial could lead to further scrutiny of Sarkozy’s presidency, with many eyes on the legal proceedings as they unfold.