Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy but acquitted of all other charges, including corruption, by a Paris court.
On Thursday, the 70-year-old was cleared of allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign was illegally financed by the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The court ruled that Sarkozy was not guilty of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, or concealing the embezzlement of public funds.
However, he was convicted on the charge of criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy has consistently denied any wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated during the three-month trial.
He remains free while he appeals the verdict, which delays any sentencing until a decision is made by an appeals court. Prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence.
Sarkozy appeared in court alongside his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and his three sons.
Previous convictions
Earlier this year, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was stripped of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award, after being convicted in a separate corruption case.
In 2014, he was found guilty of trying to bribe a judge for information about a legal case involving him. He was sentenced to one year with an electronic tag, but six months were suspended.
After wearing the tag for three months, he was allowed to remove it because of his age.
In another case last year, Sarkozy received a one-year house arrest sentence for overspending during his failed 2012 re-election campaign, he had spent nearly double the legal limit.
Despite these convictions, Sarkozy has remained a powerful figure in right-wing French politics.
Gaddafi case reveals ties between France and Libya
During the recent trial over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 campaign, Sarkozy claimed he was the victim of a “plot” by Gaddafi’s allies and called them “liars and crooks.”
He said the accusations were revenge for his role in pushing for Gaddafi’s removal in 2011.
The claims date back to 2011, when a Libyan news agency reported that Gaddafi had secretly sent millions of euros to Sarkozy’s campaign.
In 2012, French outlet Mediapart published a Libyan intelligence memo showing a supposed £43.7 million deal. Sarkozy denied it and sued for defamation. Later, French judges said the memo was real, but it was not used in this trial.
Sarkozy had 11 co-defendants, including former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, both close allies. They were also found guilty of criminal conspiracy.
The trial revealed new details about France’s close ties with Libya in the 2000s and trips made by Sarkozy’s team to Libya while he was interior minister.
A major figure in the case, businessman Ziad Takieddine, once claimed he delivered suitcases of Libyan cash to Sarkozy’s office, but later took back his story.
He died in Beirut this week at age 75. His reversal is now being investigated separately for possible witness tampering.