Former French President Sarkozy jailed in Gaddafi cash scandal
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy finally finds out his fate in the Gaddafi cash scandal case.
According to the BBC on September 25th, a Paris criminal court officially found Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy and sentenced him to 5 years behind bars in a case linked to millions in Gaddafi-linked funds. The ruling ensures the ex-President will serve prison time, even as he vows to appeal.
Sarkozy was also ordered to pay a fine of $117,000.
The dramatic sentencing left the courtroom in shock. Sarkozy blasted the verdict as politically motivated and “extremely serious for rule of law.”
The 70-year-old was President of the country from 2007-2012 and was accused of using cash from Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential campaign. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy allowed close aides to contact Libyan officials to acquire the funding. The idea was that, in exchange for the proceeds, Sarkozy would push a more positive image of Gaddafi in the Western political circles.
Sarkozy could see a Parisian prison cell in the coming days, a first for a former French President, and especially sour for Sarkozy who has always stood ten toes down in his innocence.
“What happened today… is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system,” Sarkozy declared outside the court building after his sentence.
“If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high,” he continued.
Yet as his head stays high, it was Gaddafi’s own son who dragged him low. As Maghrebi reported, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi told investigators he personally oversaw $5 million in cash deliveries to Sarkozy’s team and later claimed he was pressured to take those statements back.
Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who acted as a liaison between France and the Middle East, also had a lot to say about France’s former leader. He claims he has written proof that Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign was “abundantly” financed by Gaddafi, even revealing that the ex-President received around $58 million from Tripoli after he won the election.
Sarkozy’s trial began on January 6th, he originally accused of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds, and criminal association. He was later acquitted of both passive corruption and illegal campaign financing.
Twelve others also stood trial in this case, including three of his former ministers, Claude Gueant, his former chief of staff, his head of campaign financing at the time, and former Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux.
BBC, Maghrebi, Reuters
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