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France seeks seven-year sentence for Sarkozy in Libya funding case

Friday 28 - 08:40 By: Zahouani Ilham

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French prosecutors have called for a seven-year prison sentence for former President Nicolas Sarkozy in a trial concerning alleged illegal campaign financing linked to the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy, who served as finance minister before becoming president, is accused of striking a covert agreement to assist in rehabilitating Gaddafi’s regime, which was then internationally shunned. Prosecutors claim he accepted €50 million in cash from Gaddafi, more than double France’s legal campaign funding limit of €21 million. French law strictly regulates campaign expenditures, permitting donations only from French citizens or residents.

Now 69, Sarkozy led France from 2007 to 2012 and denies all allegations, including illegal financing, embezzlement, and corruption. Prosecutor Sébastien de la Touanne argued that the trial exposed a "dark chapter" of French politics, portraying Sarkozy as having pursued campaign funds in a "frantic quest" driven by his "unrelenting political ambition."

Prosecutors stated that Sarkozy has rejected the charges and does not recognize the severity of the accusations. In addition to prison time, they proposed a €300,000 fine and a five-year ban from public office.

In response, Sarkozy denounced the charges as "false" and "violent," vowing to fight for his innocence. He insisted during the trial that no Libyan money was involved in his campaign, asserting that no evidence of such transactions exists.

This case follows a previous conviction in which Sarkozy was sentenced to a year in prison for influence-peddling, a term he is currently serving under house arrest with electronic monitoring.