A Paris court has found former French President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of establishing a criminal association in connection with the so-called Libyan affairs case. The verdict, announced Thursday, acquitted him of charges including passive bribery, misappropriation of Libyan state funds and illegal campaign financing.
The court’s decision marks the conclusion of a complex legal process centered on allegations that Sarkozy and his advisors entered into an agreement with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2005. Prosecutors argued this agreement was designed to illegally finance Sarkozy’s successful presidential campaign in 2007. Initially, the prosecution had sought a seven-year prison sentence for Sarkozy.
The sentencing phase has not yet concluded and the full judgment is expected to take several hours to be formally delivered.
Sarkozy’s legal team has indicated an intention to appeal the verdict. Given the likelihood of an appeal and other procedural considerations, it’s improbable that Sarkozy will immediately face imprisonment. He has previously received a sentence of three years of imprisonment, with two years suspended, in a separate case involving corruption and influence peddling.
