Nicolas Sarkozy faces retrial over alleged Libyan financing of 2007 campaign

Ex-French president appeals five-year sentence; hearing at Paris Appeal Court runs to June 3

Standfirst: A lower court in September convicted Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy in a scheme prosecutors say sought funding from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya. He served 20 days in jail after the ruling and denies wrongdoing.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy returned to court for a retrial at the Paris Appeal Court over allegations he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential run, a case that last year made him the first former head of a European Union state to be incarcerated. The appeal hearings are scheduled to run until June 3.

Sarkozy, 71, was found guilty by a lower court in September of criminal conspiracy tied to what prosecutors said was a bid to secure campaign money from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. He has denied all wrongdoing and immediately appealed the five-year prison sentence, which the lower court ordered to be enforced due to what it called the “exceptional gravity” of the conviction.

He entered prison on Oct. 21 and served 20 days before being released. With the appeal now underway, Sarkozy is once again presumed innocent.

What is confirmed

The Paris Appeal Court is retrying the case known as the “Libyan financing” affair, with proceedings scheduled through June 3. The lower court convicted Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy in September and imposed a five-year prison term. It did not conclude that he received or used Libyan funds for the 2007 campaign.

Prosecutors argued in the initial trial that Sarkozy’s aides, acting in his name, struck a deal in 2005 with Gaddafi to illegally fund his victorious 2007 presidential bid. Investigators believe that, in return, Gaddafi was promised help to restore his international standing after Tripoli was blamed for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and another attack over Niger in 1989.

Following the lower court ruling, Sarkozy was jailed on Oct. 21 before being released after 20 days. He has appealed the sentence and the conviction.

Official response

Sarkozy has denied wrongdoing. Members of his circle declined to comment ahead of the retrial. In a separate matter, he and his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni, deny allegations they sought to bribe a key witness in the Libya financing case with the help of a paparazzi executive. That possible trial has not been scheduled. Not provided.

What is not yet known

• The outcome of the appeal and whether the conviction and sentence will be upheld, modified, or overturned.
• Whether the appeal court will reach any conclusion about the alleged receipt or use of Libyan funds.
• Details of any new evidence or testimony to be presented during the retrial. Not provided.

Why it matters

The case is among the most consequential corruption proceedings involving a former French head of state, testing the accountability of political leadership and the integrity of campaign financing. The lower court’s incarceration order last year underscored the severity with which judges viewed the alleged conspiracy, making Sarkozy the first former leader of an EU member state to be jailed.

What happens next

The appeal hearings are slated to continue at the Paris Appeal Court until June 3. A verdict date has not been announced. Not provided.

Additional context

Sarkozy has faced other legal cases in recent years. He wore an electronic ankle tag for several months—removed in May last year—after being convicted of trying to extract favors from a judge. In a separate case, he will have to serve more time over illegal financing of his failed 2012 re-election campaign. Specific timing and duration of the remaining sentence were not detailed. Not provided.

In December, Sarkozy published “Diary of a Prisoner,” a 216-page account of his time behind bars that describes prison noise and low-quality food. In the book, he also hints at a possible alliance between the traditional right-wing Republicans party he once led and France’s main far-right party to “rebuild the right.”

Prosecutors’ theory in the Libya case centers on alleged covert funding agreements brokered by Sarkozy’s entourage and on the geopolitical quid pro quo investigators believe was offered to Gaddafi. The lower court, however, stopped short of finding that funds were received or used in the 2007 campaign.

As the retrial unfolds, Sarkozy remains free and is presumed innocent pending the appeal court’s decision.