PARIS, July 1, 2014 (AFP) – Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday became
the first former French president to be taken into formal custody as
he was detained for questioning in an influence-peddling probe.
Sarkozy turned himself in, arriving at a police station in the western
Paris suburb of Nanterre around 8:00 am (0600 GMT) in a black
saloon car with tinted windows.
He can be held for questioning for a first period of up to 24 hours,
with a possible extension of another day. He must then be brought
before a judge to be charged or be released.
Former France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy in a car the Elysee
presidential Palace a. AFP PHOTO
The detention of Sarkozy, a right-winger who led France from 2007
to 2012, comes a day after investigators took his longtime lawyer
Thierry Herzog and two magistrates into custody.
It is the latest in a long line of legal woes for the 59-year-old since
he left office following his defeat by President Francois Hollande in
the 2012 presidential vote.
Sarkozy has made strong hints of a comeback bid in the 2017
presidential election but his hopes would be dealt a heavy blow if he
is charged in this case.
Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll denied any political
pressure was put on the courts to go after Sarkozy.
“The justice system is investigating and will follow this through to
the end. Nicolas Sarkozy can face justice just like anyone else,” he
told i-Tele.
Investigators are seeking to establish if the former president, with
the help of Herzog, attempted to pervert the course of justice.
They suspect Sarkozy sought to obtain inside information from one
of the magistrates about the progress of another probe, in exchange
for support in securing a post in Monaco.
- Tip-off on phone tapping -
Investigators are probing another allegation that Sarkozy was
illegally tipped off that his mobile phone had been tapped by judges
looking into the alleged financing of his 2007 election campaign by
former Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
Sarkozy is alleged to have been helped to victory in 2007 with up to
50 million euros ($70 million at the time) provided by Kadhafi and
envelopes stuffed with cash from France’s richest woman, L’Oreal
heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
He dismisses the Kadhafi claims as ridiculous and was cleared last
year of taking Bettencourt’s money when she was too frail to know
what she was doing. His campaign treasurer is one of 10 people
awaiting trial in that case.
The Kadhafi investigation is ongoing. It was in connection with the
case that judges last year obtained the unprecedented authorisation
to tap the phones of a former president.
Sarkozy has been implicated in a number of scandals that are under
investigation, including a long-running probe into allegations he
helped organise kickbacks from a Pakistani arms deal before
becoming president.
He has also been linked to a scandal over the funding of his
campaign for re-election in 2012.
The leader of his UMP party resigned last month after it emerged
that 10 million euros ($13.6 million) spent in support of Sarkozy had
been passed off as party expenses.
Sarkozy denies any knowledge or involvement in the falsification of
bills for organising campaign rallies and other events. A criminal
investigation into that case was opened last week.
French judges have in recent years shown their readiness to go
after former leaders with their successful pursuit of Sarkozy’s
predecessor as president, Jacques Chirac.
Chirac was convicted in 2011 on corruption charges related to his
time as mayor of Paris but was excused from attending his trial
because of ill health and was given a two-year suspended prison
term.

www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/sarkozy-detention-french-influence-peddling-probe/

If it is in Nigeria, the man will flee and travel abroad.

If there's life after here, on this planet named earth, I'd rather remain in hades than come back to Nigeria.

If the goons that subsequently mis-governed and pushed our dear country to this pitiable state are too powerful to be tried by our system, of what use is our country then?

Gowon came, saw and destroyed. And the govts that emerged after his' even did far worse. They cripled our country. Looted our treasury. Incited Nigerians against themselves whilst they loot and plunder the already haemorraged economy... And to this day, GEJ is still towing the same line.And none is calling for their trial.

If Nigeria was to be a person, he sure would have come a catholic, for as he was in the begining is he now and forever might be.

Politicians just can't be trusted.