Paris, Sept 25: A Paris court on Thursday sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison “with deferred effect,” alongside a five-year ban on holding public office and a €100,000 fine, after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in connection with alleged Libyan campaign financing.
The ruling makes Sarkozy, who served as President from 2007 to 2012, the first former French head of state convicted of such a high-level criminal offence. While convicted of conspiracy, he was acquitted of passive corruption, embezzlement of Libyan funds, and illegal campaign financing. The court said the conspiracy charge reflected his role in a network that organized corruption between 2005 and 2007.
Sarkozy, 70, is allowed to appeal and may request conditional release owing to his age. French law requires him to be summoned within a month by prosecutors to determine the terms of imprisonment.
Prosecutors alleged that Sarkozy accepted millions from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to secure his 2007 presidential victory. The case drew on evidence from trips to Tripoli, offshore money transfers, testimony from Libyan officials, and the suspicious death of a Libyan oil minister who had allegedly recorded payments “for Sarkozy.” Prosecutors also argued he offered favors, including easing diplomatic pressure on Gaddafi’s associates.
Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations baseless and claiming there is “not a shred of proof.” His defense argued the prosecution relied on dubious documents and testimony. Eleven co-defendants, including three former ministers, are also implicated.
The verdict adds to Sarkozy’s mounting legal troubles. He was earlier convicted in the “Bygmalion affair” over 2012 campaign overspending and the “Bismuth case” involving corruption and influence peddling, for which he served a sentence under electronic monitoring. He has also filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.
