Sarkozy wears mask as he stands trial for ‘bribing a magistrate’

NICOLAS Sarkozy yesterday became the first former president of France to go on trial for alleged crimes linked to his time in office.

The 65-year-old appeared at the Paris Correctional Court, where he risks up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to €1million if found guilty of corruption and influence peddling.

Sarkozy, who denies all charges, is accused of trying to bribe a magistrate with a lucrative job in exchange for insider information on a probe into the suspected illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by France’s richest woman.

The evidence being used against him was caught by intelligence services listening in on a ‘burner’ mobile phone that he used under a false name.

In court he wore a mask and spoke only to confirm his full name of Nicolas Sarkozy de Nagy-Bocsa. Judge Christine Mee immediately asked: ‘How do you pronounce Nagy-Bocsa?’

Sarkozy ( r i ght), who comes from a Hungarian background, replied: ‘Sarkozy – that will be enough.’

The court was told spies overheard him using the name ‘Paul Bismuth’ as he discussed the bribe with his lawyer.

The real Paul Bismuth, a 65-year- old property developer, is among the civil parties to the case, because he is furious his name was used.

Sarkozy was in the dock with fellow defendant Thierry Herzog, his 65-year-old barrister, who went to school with the real Paul Bismuth, and allegedly suggested using the name as an alias.

Gilbert Azibert, the 73-year-old retired judge who was said to have been bribed and who is also a defendant, was absent citing health reasons.

This led to the trial being adjourned until Thursday, giving judges time to work out how to deal with Mr Azibert, who claims to be too scared of the pandemic to leave his home in Bordeaux.

French media have previously reported that Mr Sarkozy was heard telling his lawyer about the now retired judge: ‘I’ll get him promoted, I’ll help him.’

Jacques Chirac, president between 1995 and 2007, was convicted of illegal party funding in 2011, but this offence related to his time as Paris mayor. He received a two-year suspended jail sentence but did not appear in court because of ill health.