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The court ordered that Sarkozy should be placed in custody at a later date, with prosecutors given one month to inform the former head of state when he should go to prison. Even if Sarkozy appeals the verdict this measure will remain in force.

A Paris court on Thursday convicted former French president Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of criminal conspiracy but acquitted him of corruption and accepting illegal campaign financing in his trial into accusations late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi helped fund his victorious 2007 presidential run.

The trial is the latest in a string of legal troubles for the right-wing ex-leader, 70, who denies the charges.

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, has already been convicted in two separate cases and stripped of France's highest honour.

Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy,as a serving minister and party leader at the time, had "allowed his close collaborators and political supporters over whom he had authority and who acted in his name", to approach the Libyan authorities "in order to obtain or attempt to obtain financial support".

The court's ruling however did not follow the conclusion of prosecutors that Sarkozy was the alleged beneficiary of the illegal campaign financing. He was acquitted on a separate charges of embezzlement of Libyan public funds, passive corruption and illegal financing of an electoral campaign.

Sentencing is due to be announced later in the hearing, with prosecutors requesting a seven-year prison term for Sarkozy.

He was present in court for the verdict, accompanied by his model and musician wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Two former close aides were also convicted. His former right-hand man Claude Gueant was found guilty of passive corruption and falsification while former minister Brice Hortefeux was found guilty of criminal conspiracy.

Eric Woerth, Sarkozy's 2007 campaign treasurer, was acquitted.

In a dramatic coincidence, the judgement was issued by the Paris court two days after the death on Tuesday in Beirut of Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, a key accuser of Sarkozy in the case.

Takieddine, 75, had claimed several times that he helped deliver up to five million euros ($6 million) in cash from Kadhafi to Sarkozy and the former president's chief of staff in 2006 and 2007.

Sarkozy has always insisted he is innocent

He then spectacularly retracted his claims before contradicting his own retraction, prompting the opening of another case against Sarkozy and also Bruni-Sarkozy, on suspicion of pressuring a witness.

'Fight to the end'
Prosecutors argued that Sarkozy and his aides devised a pact with Kadhafi in 2005 to illegally fund Sarkozy's victorious presidential election bid two years later.

Investigators believe that in return Kadhafi was promised help to restore his international image after Tripoli was blamed by the West for bombing a plane in 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland and another over Niger in 1989, killing hundreds of passengers.

Kadhafi was ultimately overthrown and killed by opponents in 2011 during the Arab Spring as NATO military intervention -- in which France under Sarkozy played a key role -- enforced a no-fly zone.

Takieddine was a key figure in the case
The prosecution's case is based on statements from seven former Libyan dignitaries, trips to Libya by Gueant and Hortefeux, financial transfers, and the notebooks of the former Libyan oil minister Shukri Ghanem, who was found drowned in the Danube river in Vienna in 2012.

Sarkozy has faced a litany of legal problems since his mandate and has been charged separately with corruption, bribery, influence-peddling and campaign finance infringements.

He was first convicted for graft and sentenced to a one-year jail term, which he served with an electronic tag for three months before being granted conditional release.

Separately, he received a one-year jail term -- six months with another six months suspended -- in the so-called "Bygmalion affair" for illegal campaign financing. Sarkozy has gone to France's top appeals court to appeal that verdict.

He has faced repercussions beyond the courtroom, including losing his Legion of Honour -- France's highest distinction -- following the graft conviction.

Legal woes aside, the man who styled himself as the "hyper-president" while in office still enjoys considerable influence and popularity on the right of French politics, and is known to regularly meet with President Emmanuel Macron.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20250925-france-s-sarkozy-set-to-learn-fate-in-libya-case

Nicolas Sarkozy and the Arab leaders betrayed Ghadaffi and put Libya into a mess.

Thats country where the law appears to work. No judi judi attitude by judiciary.

Money when dem don use close to 20 years ago has come back to bite him in the bum bum

Imagine in former Nigerian presidents who stole could be jailed, how many would be in prison now

Some people who love defending criminal politicians on the platform will never understand why these countries place a high premium on conduct and actions in public office
You will see such characters mouthing such abomination as "Can a two time governor of an oil rich state not afford a house in the US?" as if governor's salaries are fixed based on how rich the state is
For these kind of people, calling out corruption in public office is a sin and a devilish ploy to "bring our man down".
May God deliver Nigeria from stupid people in large numbers

CodeTemplarr:
Thats country where the law appears to work. No judi judi attitude by judiciary.

if the law works in Nigeria, your mesuya will b sentenced to life imprisonment for investing state money in his personal business while the people starve to death

If it's in Nigeria, all his sins will be forgiven or and the corrupt judges will deliver judgement on his favor based on technicalities.

Nicholas, the real definition of frienemies. To Africa.

The so called gate Keepers of democracy. They had to take out Ghadaffi to cover their tracks....

No wonder a no fly zone was imposed on Gadaffi. He needed to make this go away.

Took Ghadaffi's money for campaign but still stood against him when he needed him.

Fear the west.
Good that his sins have finally caught up with him.

Kukutente23:
Some people who love defending criminal politicians on the platform will never understand why these countries place a high premium on conduct and actions in public office
You will see such characters mouthing such abomination as "Can a two time governor of an oil rich state not afford a house in the US?" as if governor's salaries are fixed based on how rich the state is
For these kind of people, calling out corruption in public office is a sin and a devilish ploy to "bring our man down".
May God deliver Nigeria from stupid people in large numbers

when it involves calling out corruption of another person's brother, y people are d loudest but once it involves your own then u will tell us a million stories.

If they say make EFCC check obi records as governor now, Una go start to dey cry.

Obi invested state money in his personal business while people starve to death, no b crime b that?


He siphoned 250 million of state money every month for 8 years, no b crime b that?

But I trust u to give a million excuses since he's your own.

The reality is that we all have seen your hypocrisy n that's y nobody takes u people serious

Everyone's brother is bad except your own

fergie001:
The court ordered that Sarkozy should be placed in custody at a later date, with prosecutors given one month to inform the former head of state when he should go to prison. Even if Sarkozy appeals the verdict this measure will remain in force.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20250925-france-s-sarkozy-set-to-learn-fate-in-libya-case

And he was among the forces that later killed Gardafi .

Wicked man

reiddecuti:
If it's in Nigeria, all his sins will be forgiven or and the corrupt judges will deliver judgement on his favor based on technicalities.

same way all obi sins are forgotten

U people can't gaslight anyone again

Macron is the one behind all these due to sarkozy’s Jewish origins. But he must understand that the Islamists won’t save his arse when the time for retribution arrived

Sharpsharp00123:
when it involves calling out corruption of another person's brother, y people are d loudest but once it involves your own then u will tell us a million stories.

If they say make EFCC check obi records as governor now, Una go start to dey cry.

Obi invested state money in his personal business while people starve to death, no b crime b that?


He siphoned 250 million of state money every month for 8 years, no b crime b that?

But I trust u to give a million excuses since he's your own.

The reality is that we all have seen your hypocrisy n that's y nobody takes u people serious

Everyone's brother is bad except your own

See them
Defender of criminals always gaslighting by bringing Obi into every matter
Show me where I mentioned Obi in my writeup
If Obi has stolen money, by all means, the EFCC should arrest him and arraign him in a competent court
Can you call for same for your god?

This is a country where the rule of law exist. I wish Nigeria can truly become a lawful country. But the leaders and the law makers that are supposed to reposition the country for greatness will never do because they benefit from the corrupt system

Sharpsharp00123:
if the law works in Nigeria, your mesuya will b sentenced to life imprisonment for investing state money in his personal business while the people starve to death

Tinubu would of been sentenced to 20 years in prison long ago.

Sharpsharp00123:
if the law works in Nigeria, your mesuya will b sentenced to life imprisonment for investing state money in his personal business while the people starve to death

Tinubu would of been sentenced to 20 years in prison long ago.
For putting Lagos State resources and common wealth into his own property and sooo many more....

Still bombed him and his country to smithereens. Go and chop beans

You think only Africans are corrupt, think again. Wait till a future American President beems the light on Trump

Sharpsharp00123:
if the law works in Nigeria, your mesuya will b sentenced to life imprisonment for investing state money in his personal business while the people starve to death

Atleast, they will need EFCC to persecute him first which they yet to do after thousands of years.... Till date, no institution can raise any dust on that man. Man is spotless, not one governor from Lagos who was accuse of mental instability at some point in his life by his own predecessor or that one in Akwa Ibom whose daughter made huge allegations against...

Na this Nicolas Sarkozy championed the downfall of Gaddafi

nah wah ooo.Being Ex President nor consign them ova there . See how dem drag their President to court/PRISON 😒 🤔 😒 🤔 😒. Here,one Fayose,Dino,Kogi White 🦁 go don 🎬 Nollywood CRIPPLE, man/jump from one tree to another.One go even carry hom mattress/school bag to prison or arrange jesters/ suffer heads 🙄 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 to follow them.

Life

This reads like the plot from a Robert Ludlum/Tom Clancy novel.

The truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

He was the first to attack Gaddafi at 2011 that led to the fall of Libya. Be careful with some friends.
Your best friend might be your worst enemy.

lightwind:
Tinubu would of been sentenced to 20 years in prison long ago.
For putting Lagos State resources and common wealth into his own property and sooo many more....

any prove about that or u forget tinubu was tried during PDP rule n he was discharged n acquainted?