Sarkozy to be tried over 2012 election ‘fraud’

FORMER French president Nicolas Sarkozy is to go on trial for corruption, seven years after leaving office.

His bid to avoid court action for running an allegedly criminal election campaign was rejected by the Constitutional Council in Paris yesterday.

The 64-year-old, pictured, now faces imprisonment if found guilty of offences including fraud and false accounting during his failed attempt to seek re-election in 2012.

A company working for him is said to have used a vast system of false accounting to spend at least £33million on his campaign. The legal limit was £18.5million. Mr Sarkozy has said he is innocent and knew nothing of any corruption.