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Ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy indicted for ‘criminal association’

BFM TV channel clarified that this is the first time this charge is brought against a former leader in French history

Nicolas Sarkozy EPA-EFE/JULIEN WARNAND

Nicolas Sarkozy

© EPA-EFE/JULIEN WARNAND

PARIS, October 16. /TASS/. The French prosecution for financial crimes reported Friday that last Monday former President Nicolas Sarkozy faced a few hours of questioning and was later indicted as part of the investigation into alleged financing provided by Libya for his campaign in 2007. According to the prosecution, Sarkozy is charged with ‘criminal association’. BFM TV channel clarified that this is the first time this charge is brought against a former leader in French history.

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French ex-president Sarkozy in custody over campaign funds — Reuters

This is the fourth charge slapped against Sarkozy in this case. He is also suspected of corruption, state funds fraud and possession of illegally obtained funds. The former president can be sentenced to 10 years behind bars under the most recent charge of criminal association. According to AFP, Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing and rejects all the charges.

Libyan authorities first went public about financing the Sarkozy campaign back in March 2011. In particular, ex-Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in an interview with Euronews demanded that then-President Sarkozy admit receiving financial assistance from the Libyan government. Independent investigations in France followed suit, confirming these claims. Sarkozy has been fervently denying all these accusations.

Sarkozy served as French president between 2007 and 2012.

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