Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Found Guilty Of Criminal Conspiracy, Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Paris court sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison on Thursday. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 euros (£87,000) in connection with Libyan Cash Campaign Trial.

The verdict came after the court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy in his trial into accusations that the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi helped fund his victorious 2007 presidential.

The Paris criminal court acquitted him of all other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing, BBC reported.

The court ordered that Sarkozy should be placed in custody at a later date, with prosecutors given one month to inform the former head of state when he should go to prison.

Even if Sarkozy appeals the verdict, this measure will remain in force.

What's the case?

The case pertains to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy was accused of using the funds from Gaddafi to finance his 2007 election campaign. In exchange, the prosecution alleged, Sarkozy promised to help Gaddafi combat his reputation as a pariah with Western countries.

As per BBC, the investigation was opened in 2013, two years after Saif al-Islam, son of the then-Libyan leader, first accused Sarkozy of taking millions of his father's money for campaign funding.

Sarkozy claimed the case is politically motivated.

Sarkozy could now be sent to prison in Paris in the coming days – a first for a former French president.

Who is Nicolas Sarkozy?

Sarkozy, 70, was the president of France from 2007 to 2012. He was born in Paris on January 28, 1955.

The former French President completed his undergraduate education in political science at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris and earned his master's degree in private law (1978) and certificate to practice law (1981).

Prior to his presidency, Sarkozy was appointed as Minister of State, Minister of the Interior and Spatial Planning under Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin (2005), according to his profile on Berggruen Institute' website.

Previously, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin appointed Sarkozy to Minister of the Interior, Internal Security and Local Freedoms (2002-2004), followed by an appointment to Minister of State, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (April-November 2004).

Shortly after his second appointment under Raffarin, Sarkozy resigned after being elected president of the French political party, Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), with 85.1% of the vote (November 2004).

Many other roles of Nicolas Sarkozy

Before stepping into his political career, Sarkozy worked as a lawyer and was a member of the Paris Bar Association.

Sarkozy is also a prolific writer. He authored the following books: Georges Mandel, The Monk Policy (1994); After the Passion, Balance: Interview with Michel Denisot (1995); Free (2001); The Republic, Religions, Hope (2004); Testimony (2006) and Together (2007).

He received many honors and accolades, which include the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit, Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Charles III (Spain), Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom), Knight of the Golden Fleece (Spain), Tolerance Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center (2003), the Humanitarian Award from the Elie Wiesel Foundation (2008) and the World Statesman Award from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation (2008).

Sarkozy is married and has four children. His wife, Italian-born former supermodel and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, was charged last year with hiding evidence linked to the Gaddafi case and associating with wrongdoers to commit fraud, both of which she denies.

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