The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was convicted for criminal conspiracy after a highly-publicized trial centered on accusations that the money used to fund his election campaign in 2007 came from late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy was cleared of corruption charges by the Paris Criminal Court on Thursday. The court found that Sarkozy participated in an illegal campaign financing plot, but did not find him guilty of any other crimes.
The prosecution has requested seven years in prison. Sentencing is expected to take place later today. Sarkozy denies the allegations and will likely appeal the decision, which suspends the sentence pending the review of the case by higher courts.
Libyan links to campaign financing allegations
Bloomberg reported that the trial was centered on allegations that Sarkozy’s campaign received millions from Qaddafi’s regime by funneling money through covert network to boost his 2007 successful presidential bid.
French prosecutors claimed that these funds formed part of an agreement between Sarkozy associates and Libyan government officials at a time when Qaddafi sought closer relations with Western governments.
The evidence presented at court indicated that intermediaries and political contacts, as well as financial transfers, were used to hide the source of money.
Sarkozy was France’s President from 2007-2012 and has claimed that the campaign account he managed for his presidential campaigns had been legally run.
Sarkozy gets a third conviction
Sarkozy’s legal troubles continue to grow. This is his third case in a criminal court since leaving the office.
The highest court of appeals in France rejected the man’s attempt to reverse a conviction for corruption, and confirmed a year-long prison term.
This earlier case was centered on accusations that Sarkozy had tried to get confidential information about a judge from him.
This new decision highlights the level of scrutiny that Sarkozy has been under since his 2012 failed reelection bid. Sarkozy, 70 years of age, now faces multiple prison sentences for convictions.
The appeal process and its political impact
According to French law, an appealing would delay the execution of any sentence until all appeals are exhausted. Sarkozy’s legal team confirmed that he will contest the decision, since he’s consistently denied having received Libyan money.
Sarkozy, one of France’s former leading figures, and the geopolitical aspect of Qaddafi’s Libya have all attracted wide media attention.
The case of France has symbolically become a concern for the wider public about foreign interference in European politics, and transparency of the campaign financing systems.
This raises the question of how alliances made with former regimes that were overthrown in later years can influence legal and political disputes decades later.
Sarkozy continues to face legal challenges
Sarkozy was under legal scrutiny for a decade after his fall in 2012. He has also been investigated for influence peddling, overspending on his campaign, and business connections formed after leaving the presidency.
It is now clear that he was the only French President in modern times to have multiple criminal convictions.
The ruling, while it may have delayed any possible prison sentence, further reduces the prospects of his political return, and cements in history that he is a president whose post presidency has been marked by trial convictions.
As new information becomes available, this post Sarkozy found guilty in Libyan funding trial and faces prison sentence may be updated.
