“Sarkozy has to give back the money he accepted from Libya to finance his electoral campaign. We financed his campaign and we have the proof… The first thing we’re demanding is that this clown gives back the money to the Libyan people.”
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi — March 2011
March 29 2018 — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to face trial for corruption and influence peddling. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today
RELATED POST: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Arrested Over Gaddafi Campaign Financing [UPDATE]
RELATED POST: One Year Ago — Dead Man’s Diary: Sarkozy’s 2007 Presidential Election Campaign Funded by Gaddafi
RELATED POST: Libyan intervention based on erroneous assumptions; David Cameron ultimately responsible
Mr Sarkozy allegedly sought to influence a judge — Gilbert Azibert — who was looking into suspected illegal financing of his campaign.
Independently, Sarkozy is also suspected to have accepted €50m from Gaddafi’s regime.
These claims have been repeated by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi — the late Libyan dictator’s son — and French businessman Ziad Takieddine.
In 2014, the investigators wiretapped phone-calls from Paul Bismuth to judge Azibert.
During these phone calls, Mr Bismuth offered a prestigious role in Monaco to Mr Azibert in exchange for information on suspect financing case.
When the Police visited Mr Sarkozy at his house, they called Mr Bismuth’s number and the phone in Sarkozy’s pocket rang. That phone had been acquired by Thierry Herzog, Mr Sarkozy’s lawyer.
Sarkozy and his attorneys had argued that the wiretapping violated attorney-client privilege. Therefore, according to them, their wiretapped communications should be deemed inadmissible in court.
However, their appeal was rejected by the Cour de Cassation — the nation’s highest judicial body — in 2016.
The judge and Mr Sarkozy’s lawyer are also expected to stand trial.
REFERENCES
France’s Sarkozy ‘to face corruption trial’ — BBC News
=
Breaking News — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Face Trial For Corruption
Intel Today 