Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, previously convicted on corruption charges, will go on trial again – this time on charges of embezzlement and fraud during his 2012 re-election campaign. Reported by FRANCE 24
It is reported that he exceeded the budget as a result of the failed campaign by $ 24 million – due to excessive registration of rallies and meetings with supporters. To compensate for the costs, employees of his headquarters had to go to financial fraud with dummy accounts.
The former French leader himself claims that he was not aware of what was happening. If found guilty, he faces up to a year in prison and a fine of approximately $ 4,500.
Sarkozy has previously stated that he does not exclude referring his case to the European Court of Human Rights.
On March 1, a Paris court sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison, and one year in real prison, in a case of corruption and trading in influence. Two other defendants in the case – former lawyer of Sarkozy Thierry Erzog and ex-judge Gilbert Azibert – were found guilty of divulging professional secrets and received similar sentences.
According to the investigation, the former president, through his lawyer, could promise Aziber a position in Monaco. In exchange, he was supposed to provide confidential information about another investigation: it concerned allegations of illegal financing of Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign by the heiress of the French company L’Oreal Liliane Bettencourt.
The investigation believes that in 2007, during a meeting with Bettencourt, Sarkozy received 150 thousand euros in cash from her. He allegedly used this money to finance his campaign. According to French law, candidates are prohibited from accepting donations of more than 4.6 thousand euros.