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 landmark ruling marks the first time a modern French ex-president will face actual jail time. Despite planning to appeal, the court decided that the 70-year-old must serve his sentence, with the date of imprisonment to be determined later.
The court convicted Sarkozy of criminal association in a scheme spanning 2005 to 2007 to finance his election campaign using Libyan funds in exchange for diplomatic favors. However, he was acquitted of three other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealing embezzlement of public funds. Following the verdict, Sarkozy maintained his innocence, stating he would accept prison if necessary but asserted his dignity.
Additionally, two of Sarkozy’s close associates during his presidency, former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, were found guilty of criminal association but cleared of other accusations. The court implied that while there was a conspiracy to seek Libyan funding for Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign, there was uncertainty about the direct involvement of the ex-president or the use of Libyan money in his electoral victory.
The court’s lengthy verdict highlighted how Sarkozy allowed his inner circle to solicit financial support from Libya for campaign financing purposes, although there was no definitive evidence linking Libyan funds to Sarkozy’s campaign. The ruling underscored that even if money wasn’t proven to have exchanged hands, a corrupt scheme could still constitute a crime under French law.
The accusations stem from assertions made in 2011 by a Libyan news agency and Gadhafi himself, claiming that the Libyan state funneled millions of euros into Sarkozy’s campaign. Nonetheless, the court discredited a 2012 document, previously cited by a French outlet, as likely being forged, which referenced a substantial funding agreement.
In a separate probe, investigations focused on trips to Libya involving Sarkozy’s close aides during his tenure as interior minister from 2005 to 2007. Allegations surfaced in 2016 when a businessman, Ziad Takieddine, revealed transporting cash from Tripoli to the French Interior Ministry under Sarkozy. However, Takieddine later retracted his statement, leading to suspicions of witness tampering.
Notably, one of the co-defendants in the case, Ziad Takieddine, passed away this week. The trial’s revelations shed light on France’s diplomatic engagements with Libya in the 2000s while Gadhafi sought to mend ties with Western nations. Sarkozy has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and based on fabricated evidence, attributing them to revenge, particularly due to his advocacy for military intervention in Libya during the Arab Spring protests.
Sarkozy’s legal woes extend beyond this case, with previous convictions for corruption and influence peddling. In a separate trial, he was found guilty of illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid. Despite these legal setbacks, Sarkozy has consistently denied the allegations and continues to contest the verdicts through appeals.