French ex-president Nicholas Sarkozy convicted of criminal conspiracy, jailed for five years

Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of France, was today convicted of criminal conspiracy by the Paris criminal court. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

The verdict means Sarkozy will now do time in jail regardless of the success of his intended appeal.  However, on the additional charges of illegal campaign financing and passive corruption, he was fully acquitted.

Nicolas Sarkozy: criminal conspiracy

The case pertained to millions in illegal funding that Sarkozy received from Colonel Mummar Gaddafi, the late leader of Libya. The prosecution alleged that Sarkozy used the money for his election campaign in 2007, trading it for his help in rehabilitating Gaddafi’s reputation in the West.

In 2011, Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam accused Nicolas Sarkozy of receiving the campaign money from his father. Two years later, an official investigation into the matter was opened.

Then, in 2014, a Lebanese businessman offered written proof of Libya’s involvement in Sarkozy’s finances. The businessman, Ziad Takieddine, was a go-between for France and various Middle Eastern states. He claimed that €50m had changed hands between Gaddafi and Sarkozy, even after the latter became president.

Judge Nathalie Gavarino found that there was insufficient evidence to find the ex-president guilty of benefitting from illegal campaign financing. However, she did rule that his aides had contacted Libyan officials in order to obtain monetary support, with Sarkozy’s permission.

‘Extreme gravity’

The Paris judge also fined Nicolas Sarkozy €100,000. The verdict marks the first time a former French president has been sent to prison. For his part, Sarkozy has maintained that the prosecution’s case was politically motivated.