Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial Monday, facing charges of accepting illegal campaign financing in connection with an alleged deal with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. This trial marks the latest legal chapter in Sarkozy’s troubled post-presidential career, which has been marred by multiple legal challenges since his 2012 election loss.
At 69, Sarkozy remains a prominent figure in French politics, known for his close ties with current President Emmanuel Macron and his high-profile role in national affairs. He has already been convicted in two separate cases, is facing charges in a third, and is under investigation in connection with two other matters.
This new trial comes just weeks after France’s highest appeals court, on December 18, upheld a one-year prison sentence against Sarkozy for influence peddling. He is set to serve the sentence with an electronic tag instead of prison.
Sarkozy is expected to be present at the Paris court when the trial begins at 12:30 GMT. According to a source close to him, he plans to attend the initial hearings. Twelve other defendants, including former close aides, are also standing trial. They are accused of helping orchestrate a pact with Gaddafi to illegally fund Sarkozy’s successful 2007 presidential campaign. All the accused deny the charges.
Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of charges related to the concealment of embezzled public funds and illegal campaign financing. The trial is expected to last until April 10.
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, has emphasized his client’s determination to contest the charges. “He will fight the artificial narrative constructed by the prosecution. There was no Libyan financing,” Ingrain said.
Sarkozy, who has not yet been fitted with the electronic tag required for his prison sentence, spent the Christmas holidays in Seychelles with his wife, singer Carla Bruni, and their daughter.
The current case stems from a decade-long investigation into alleged financial support from Gaddafi to Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. Prosecutors claim that Sarkozy and his associates promised to assist Gaddafi in rehabilitating his international image in exchange for campaign funds. These events took place during a period when many Western countries were courting the Libyan leader, despite his regime’s role in the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and other violent acts.
The case is largely based on testimonies from seven former Libyan officials, as well as documents and transfers linking Sarkozy’s aides to Gaddafi’s inner circle. Among those on trial are Sarkozy’s former top aide, Claude Guéant, campaign financing chief Eric Woerth, and former Minister Brice Hortefeux.
The scandal first broke in 2012, when the Mediapart website published a document purportedly from 2006, suggesting a deal had been made for Gaddafi to fund Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. Sarkozy has long denied the authenticity of the document and dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign.
The case took another twist with the involvement of Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman, who initially claimed to have delivered millions in cash from Gaddafi to Sarkozy’s campaign. However, in 2020, Takieddine retracted his statements, raising suspicions that Sarkozy or his allies may have paid him to change his testimony.
In October 2023, Sarkozy was charged with illegal witness tampering, and his wife, Carla Bruni, was also implicated in the case for allegedly hiding evidence.
As the trial begins, Sarkozy is expected to continue fighting the charges, maintaining his innocence and insisting that the entire case is based on fabricated claims.
