Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in his long-running trial over allegations that late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi secretly bankrolled his 2007 presidential campaign.
The Paris court, delivering its verdict on Thursday, ruled that Sarkozy — who served as president from 2007 to 2012 — allowed his close allies and political associates to seek illicit funding from Libya while he was a serving minister and party leader.
However, the 70-year-old ex-leader was acquitted of more serious charges of corruption, embezzlement of Libyan public funds, and illegal campaign financing, meaning the court did not establish that he personally benefited from the alleged funds.
Presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy’s collaborators acted “in his name” to approach Libyan authorities for financial support, but prosecutors’ claims that he directly received millions in cash could not be upheld.
Sarkozy, who denies all wrongdoing, appeared in court alongside his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Prosecutors had requested a seven-year prison sentence, with final sentencing expected later in the hearing.
Several of Sarkozy’s inner circle also faced justice:
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Claude Gueant, his longtime right-hand man, was convicted of passive corruption and falsification.
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Brice Hortefeux, a former minister, was found guilty of conspiracy.
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Eric Woerth, Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign treasurer, was acquitted.
The ruling comes just days after the sudden death in Beirut of Ziad Takieddine, the Franco-Lebanese businessman who accused Sarkozy of receiving up to €5 million from Kadhafi before later retracting and contradicting his own claims. His death adds a dramatic twist to one of France’s most explosive political scandals.
Sarkozy, already twice convicted in separate cases, has also been stripped of France’s highest national honour. Thursday’s verdict further cements his fall from grace as one of the country’s most embattled former presidents.
