French Prosecutors Seek Trial for Sarkozy Over Libya Funding

(Bloomberg) -- French prosecutors are seeking a trial for former President Nicolas Sarkozy related to allegations that Libya illegally provided funding for his 2007 campaign.

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Sarkozy should face charges of concealing the embezzlement of public funds, criminal association and illegal campaign financing, the national financial prosecutor’s office said in a statement Thursday.

Twelve other suspects were also named by the prosecutor.

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Thierry Herzog, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarkozy has been questioned over allegations that Libya’s former leader Moammar Al Qaddafi provided funding for his successful presidential campaign. Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption in a separate 2021 case, becoming the country’s second head of state in the modern era to be convicted of a crime after leaving office.

It will now be up to the two investigating judges in charge of the Libya case to decide whether to order a trial before the criminal court and on which charges, Agence France-Presse reported.

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