Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was also sentenced to three years in prison. The French court this morning rejected his objections. Sarkozy doesn’t have to go to jail, he can replace his prison sentence by wearing an ankle bracelet. Furthermore, he cannot stand for election for three years and cannot exercise public functions.
Sarkozy denies he did anything wrong. His lawyer calls the sentence “unique and unjust”. He says that the former president is innocent and therefore he will appeal again to the Supreme Court.
Paul Bismuth
The criminal case revolves around a 2007 corruption scandal. “In that year he ran for the French presidency for the first time,” says Europe correspondent Stefan de Vries. The story came to light because it was intercepted by the Department of Justice.
In one of the thousands of intercepted conversations, Sarkozy allegedly attempted to bribe a judge. During telephone conversations, Sarkozy used the pseudonym Paul Bismuth. The now 68-year-old Sarkozy, president of France from 2007 to 2012, is not the first French president to come into contact with the judiciary, but the first to actually be convicted. However, the rejected appeal does not put an end to Sarkozy’s problems.
Gaddafi
An appeal will be heard later this year in another case, involving the financing of his failed 2012 presidential campaign. Sarkozy’s campaign team at the time was holding shadow accounts, Sarkozy denies knowing anything to about. And Sarkozy is suspected of involvement in another corruption case. In 2005 he allegedly received millions of euros in cash from then Libyan leader Gaddafi. He had to pay for his alleged help to Sarkozy with his death, says De Vries. Sarkozy was behind the invasion of Libya during the Arab Spring in 2011. This case will be discussed later this year.
Oligarchs
In addition, there is an investigation into illegal party financing in 1995 and an investigation into illegal lobbying for Russian oligarchs in 2020. “It concerns nearly a quarter century of shady dealings involving former President Nicolas Sarkozy,” he says. DeVries.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
