Rise and fall of Sarkozy ...President to prisoner
France’s ex-leader in corruption rap
SHAMED ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison for corruption.
Sarkozy, 66, was convicted of trying to bribe a magistrate with a top job in Monaco in exchange for information about a criminal inquiry into his party.
But the former darling of France’s rightwing is unlikely to serve a day behind bars.
Two years of his sentence were suspended and it is predicted he will serve the final custodial year at his luxury Paris home as long as he wears an electronic tag.
Yesterday’s judgement is a major fall from grace for the popular former leader, who ruled from 2007 to 2012 and met prime ministers David Cameron and Gordon Brown, and US president Barack Obama.
His wife, singer Carla Bruni, 53, posted a photo on social media of them together, captioned: “What insane relentlessness my love @nicolassarkozy .... The fight continues, the truth will emerge #injustice.”
Judge Christine Mée said Sarkozy “knew what he was doing was wrong” adding that his actions and those of Thierry
Herzog, his former lawyer, had given the public “a very bad image of justice”.
Herzog, 65, and the magistrate, Gilbert
Azibert, both received the same sentence. The trial heard Sarkozy forged a “corruption pact” with Herzog and Azibert, 74.
Azibert and Herzog were taped by investigators probing claims he accepted illicit payments from the L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.
The trial focused on phone conversations that took place in February 2014.
Sarkozy denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was the victim of a “witch-hunt” by financial prosecutors.
Last night he announced he would be appealing the conviction. He will remain free during that process.
Sarkozy faces another court case later this month accused of illegally financing his 2012 election campaign. He eventually lost the election to Francois Hollande.
What insane relentlessness my love, the fight continues and the truth will emerge
CARLA BRUNI SINGER’S MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO HER HUSBAND