Sarkozy says charges akin to ‘living hell’

Former French leader blasts ‘lack of evidence’ in corruption charges against him

French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy blasted what he said was a lack of evidence for the corruption charges against him over claims the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi funded his 2007 election campaign, in his court statement published yesterday.

The morning after he was charged in France’s most explosive political scandals in decades, the 63-yearold right-winger said in the statement published by the Figaro newspaper that he had been in “living hell” since the allegations emerged in 2011.

Witness, not suspect

Demanding he be treated as a witness rather than a suspect, he urged magistrates to consider “the violence of the injustice” if it was proved, as he claims, the accusations are a “manipulation by the dictator Gaddafi or his gang”.

“In the 24 hours of my detention I have tried with all my might to show that the serious corroborating evidence required to charge someone did not exist,” Sarkozy said.

“I stand accused without any tangible evidence through comments made by Mr Gaddafi, his son, his nephew, his cousin, his spokesman, his former prime minister,” he added.

The allegations that Sarkozy took money from Gaddafi — whom he helped to topple in 2011 — are the most serious out of myriad investigations dogging him since he left office in 2012.

Judges decided they had enough evidence to charge the combative one-term president on Wednesday after five years of investigation and two days of questioning in police custody in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

Sarkozy, who served from 2007 to 2012, was charged with corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of Libyan public money, a judiciary source said.

“I’ve been living the hell of this slander since March 11, 2011,” when the allegations first emerged, Sarkozy said.

Since 2013, investigators have been looking into claims by several figures in Gaddafi’s ousted regime, including his son Saif Al Islam, that Sarkozy’s campaign received cash from the dictator.

I stand accused without any tangible evidence through comments made by Mr Gaddafi, his son, his nephew, his cousin, his spokesman, his former prime minister.”

Statement published by Sarkozy