Sarkozy Nicolas (Nicolas Sarkozy)

Sarkozy Nicolas (Nicolas Sarkozy)

Main article: History of France

Biography

2021

3 years in prison for corruption

On March 1, 2021, a Paris court sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison - two years probation and one year in prison. The former president of France was found guilty of corruption and trade in influence.

In particular, Sarkozy was found guilty of patronizing former Constitutional Court judge Gilbert Aziber in obtaining a position in Monaco in exchange for information about an investigation into the illegal receipt of funds for the 2007 presidential campaign by the daughter of L'Oreal founder Lilian Betancourt. The verdict emphasizes that the crimes committed are "of particular gravity, since they were committed by the former president of the republic."

As evidence, the investigation cited recordings of intercepted telephone conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer in 2013-2014, in which the interlocutors did not give their names. The ex-president's defense insisted that "it was just friendly chatter" and there was no reason to draw conclusions that Sarkozy hinted at violating the laws.

During the trial, Sarkozy categorically denied guilt. His lawyers demanded that all charges be dropped from their client, claiming that the wiretapping of telephone conversations was carried out illegally and was a violation of the secrecy of the investigation, since it was about negotiations between the lawyer and the client. At the same time, they referred to the decision of the Council of Europe prohibiting such interceptions of negotiations of lawyers. The court on Monday rejected this claim.

Previously, none of the leaders of the Fifth Republic, after the expiration of his powers, ended up in prison. Before Sarkozy, only one former head of state was on trial - Jacques Chirac. He was found guilty of arranging his friends for fictitious posts when he was mayor of Paris.^[1]

Guilty of exceeding campaign expenses

On September 30, 2021, French judges found Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of intentionally exceeding expenses during his unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2012, making him the first former president France to be convicted twice of a crime.

The judge sentenced him to one year in prison, but he avoided imprisonment. The former leader of the French Republic must wear an electronic bracelet for 12 months. If he decides to appeal the verdict, then the punishment will be canceled.

French judges said that Sarkozy's election campaign led to expenses of 42.7 million euros ($49.5 million), which is about twice as much as allowed by law.

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