Former French President Sarkozy faces trial over alleged campaign funding from Gaddafi

Sarkozy, who was France’s president from 2007 to 2012, retired from public life in 2017.

Transcript

00:00Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's trial started on Monday over alleged illegal

00:07financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of then-Libyan leader Muabarin

00:13Gaddafi.

00:14He faces charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement

00:21of public funds and criminal association, punished by up to 10 years in prison.

00:27The so-called Libyan case emerged in March 2011, when a Libyan news agency reported that

00:33the Gaddafi government had financed Sarkozy's 2007 campaign.

00:38The next year, a French online news site published a document said to be a note from the Libyan

00:43secret services, mentioning Gaddafi's agreement to provide Sarkozy's campaign 15 million euros

00:48in financing.

00:52Sarkozy strongly rejected the accusations, calling the document a blatant fake and filing

00:57complaints for forgery, concealment and spreading false news.

01:01Sarkozy has been convicted in two other scandals, but the Libyan case appears as the one most

01:06likely to significantly affect his legacy.