Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy. The case was related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy was accused of using the funds from Gaddafi to finance his 2007 election campaign. In exchange, the prosecution alleged Sarkozy promised to help Gaddafi combat his reputation as a pariah with Western countries.
The Paris criminal court acquitted him of all other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy had allowed close aides to contact Libyan officials with a view to obtaining financial support for his campaign. However, the court ruled that there was not enough evidence to find Sarkozy was the beneficiary of the illegal campaign financing. Today’s ruling means he will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal. On the other hand, 70-year-old Sarkozy, who was president of France from 2007-12, claims the case is politically motivated.
