French ex-president Sarkozy charged over Libyan campaign financing

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is confronting new legal charges over alleged illegal funding of his successful election campaign in 2007, the financial prosecutor’s office announced on Friday, confirming an earlier Mediapart press report.

Sarkozy, who once again declared his innocence, has now been charged for “conspiracy” in the probe over alleged Libyan financing of this campaign.

In 2018, Sarkozy had been indicted for illegal financing and passive corruption.

“After four days of questioning, during which I answered all the questions that I was asked (…) my innocence has again been disregarded by a decision that doesn’t bring any evidence of any illicit financing,” Sarkozy said on social media.

Sarkozy, who claims he’s a victim of a “plot” in this case, is the second former French president to stand trial after the late Jacques Chirac.