Former president Sarkozy in court over campaign finances
French
PARIS: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a Paris court on Tuesday in connection with a long-running scandal over his 2012 campaign finances, an AFP journalist reported.
It was not clear if Sarkozy would be charged during the hearing, which is investigating false accounting during his failed election campaign that allowed him to greatly exceed spending limits.
The case hinges on the activity of a PR firm, Bygmalion, which organised some of Sarkozy’s campaign appearances and is accused of a vast system of false accounting.
Campaign spending limits were fixed at 22.5 million euros (US$25 million), and Bygmalion is accused of charging some 18.5 million euros to Sarkozy’s party – then called the UMP, but since renamed The Republicans – instead of charging the money to the campaign.
Several employees at Bygmalion, including the company’s accountant, as well as a leading member of Sarkozy’s campaign team have admitted to the existence of the fraud, though none have accused the former president of knowing about it.
Sarkozy, who led the country from 2007 before losing to Francois Hollande in 2012, has always denied any knowledge of the false accounting.
He said he was retiring from politics after the election but made a comeback just two years later, returning to lead The Republicans and attempting to position himself for another run at the presidency in 2017. — AFP