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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial Monday, accused of accepting illegal campaign financing from late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi during his 2007 presidential bid.
Sarkozy, 69, faces charges of concealing embezzlement of public funds and illegal campaign financing, which could result in up to 10 years in prison. Twelve others, including close aides, are also on trial, all denying the charges.
This trial follows years of legal troubles for Sarkozy, who has already been convicted in two other cases and is under investigation in two more. Last month, France’s top court upheld a one-year prison sentence for influence peddling, to be served under electronic monitoring.
Prosecutors allege Sarkozy and his team sought to rehabilitate Kadhafi’s international image in exchange for campaign funds. Evidence includes statements from Libyan officials, travel records, and documents from the late Libyan oil minister, Shukri Ghanem, who died mysteriously in 2012.
Sarkozy has denied all allegations, calling them a politically motivated conspiracy. His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, stated, “There was no Libyan financing.”
The trial is expected to run until 10 April. Meanwhile, Sarkozy remains a divisive yet influential figure in French politics.
