Former French president Sarkozy convicted of corruption, handed jail sentence

By Tangi Salaün

 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, wearing a protective face mask, arrives for the verdict in his trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, at Paris courthouse, France, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Judges found former president Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of trying to bribe a judge and of influence-peddling on Monday and sentenced him to three years in jail, with two years suspended.

 

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, had denied any wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of a witch-hunt by financial prosecutors who used excessive means to snoop on his affairs.

 

Retired from politics but still influential among conservatives, Sarkozy has 10 days to appeal the ruling.

 

He is the second former president in modern France, after the late Jacques Chirac, to be convicted of corruption.

 

Prosecutors persuaded the judges that Sarkozy had offered to secure a plum job in Monaco for judge Gilbert Azibert in return for confidential information about an inquiry into allegations that he had accepted illegal payments from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.

 

This came to light, they said, while they were wiretapping conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer Thierry Herzog after Sarkozy left office, in relation to another investigation into alleged Libyan financing of the same campaign.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-01

 

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Ha.....Johnson and Trump might get a bit twitchy seeing this.

 

I wonder if he will get bail and have his passport returned before "going to jail".

But it wasn't Sarkozy, it was Paul Bismuth! ????

 

He can still appeal. No idea if it may succeed or not.

22 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, had denied any wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of a witch-hunt by financial prosecutors who used excessive means to snoop on his affairs.

 

He didn't do it, or he did it sneaky enough that they shouldn't have been able to find it without using excessive means to snoop?

 

Well if Carla needs anything while he's away, I might be willing to fly over.

Nice to see a country hold a president accountable wish it was the same here

And meanwhile, Myanmar military kills 18 people peacefully protesting illegal military coup.

Quite a contrast between decadent west and the rest.

 

6 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Ha.....Johnson and Trump might get a bit twitchy seeing this.

 

I wonder if he will get bail and have his passport returned before "going to jail".

Surprised he got his schnoz in the mask.

Don't recall Boris bribing any judge. Have you been drinking or just a little bit confused/simple? But good to see him getting his comeuppance, albeit he won't see a prison cell for a while since he is appealing. Anyway, Macron next with a bit of luck... before the muslims get hold of him like. 

 

Ohhhh Nooo 

Another French circus !!! And nobody is going to prison. 

A series of posts re the British PM have been removed for being off-topic to this thread.

 

19 hours ago, candide said:

But it wasn't Sarkozy, it was Paul Bismuth! ????

 

He can still appeal. No idea if it may succeed or not.

It's on tape was Sarkozy said because of French law Sarkozy can string it out for a decade.

16 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Surprised he got his schnoz in the mask.

Don't recall Boris bribing any judge. Have you been drinking or just a little bit confused/simple? But good to see him getting his comeuppance, albeit he won't see a prison cell for a while since he is appealing. Anyway, Macron next with a bit of luck... before the muslims get hold of him like. 

 

 

Had to get an XXL especially to cover his hooter.

 

 

6 hours ago, The Theory said:

Another French circus !!! And nobody is going to prison. 

 

Not like the good old days - an iron mask, a swift blade falling from above and the head shown to the crowd, eh?

Morch.  What did you have in mind for Carla ?