Sarkozy in court to face charges over corruption
Ex- French president denies offences
FORMER FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy has gone on trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, a first for the 65- year- old politician who has faced several other judicial investigations since leaving office in 2012.
Sarkozy is accused of trying to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about an investigation involving him in 2014.
He stands trial in Paris along with his lawyer Thierry Herzog, 65, and the magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, 73. They face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of one million euro (£ 900,000). They deny any wrongdoing.
Sarkozy and Herzog are suspected of promising Azibert a job in Monaco in exchange for leaking information about an investigation into suspected illegal financing of the 2007 presidential campaign by France’s richest woman, L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
Sarkozy arrived at the court surrounded by his lawyers and bodyguards, in the presence of dozens of journalists.
The Paris court has been placed under high security as hearings in the case, scheduled until December 10, are taking place at the same time as another key trial – that of the 2015 attacks at the Charlie Hebdo offices and a kosher supermarket.
Sarkozy’s trial started yesterday afternoon in the absence of Azibert. His lawyer told news broadcaster BFM TV that he will request a trial postponement, arguing his client’s bad health makes it risky for him to travel and appear in court amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2014, Sarkozy and Herzog used secret mobile phones – registered under the alias “Paul Bismuth” – in order to have private talks, as they feared their conversations were being tapped.
Sarkozy and Herzog explained that they bought the phones to avoid being targeted by illegal phone tapping. Investigative judges, however, suspect they actually wanted to avoid being tapped by investigators.
Judges have found that discussions between Sarkozy and his lawyer suggested they had knowledge that investigators tapped their conversations on their official phones.