Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has gone on trial over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by Muammar Qaddafi.
The prosecutor alleges the candidate accepted millions of euros from Libya's former leader to bankroll his campaign.
On Monday, Mr Sarkozy's trial began in Paris and is scheduled to run until April 10 with a verdict expected at a later date. The 69-year-old is charged with passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds and criminal association.
If convicted, Mr Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, may face 10 years in jail. He has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, said his client is looking forward to the hearings “with determination”. “There is no Libyan financing of the campaign,” Mr Ingrain said. “We want to believe the court will have the courage to examine the facts objectively, without being guided by the nebulous theory that poisoned the investigation.”
The trial involves 11 other defendants, including three former ministers. A 12th defendant, Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who is accused of having played the role of intermediary, is believed to be in Lebanon and is not expected to appear at the Paris court.
Investigations began in March 2011, when a Libyan news agency reported that the Qaddafi government had financed Mr Sarkozy's 2007 campaign. In an interview, Qaddafi claimed that Mr Sarkozy's victory was due to financing from Libya. “It's thanks to us that he reached the presidency. We provided him with the funds that allowed him to win,” he said. However, he did not reveal any financial details.
Mr Sarkozy welcomed Qaddafi to Paris with great honours following his campaign but in March 2011, he became one of the first western leaders to push for a military intervention in Libya.
The next year, French online news site Mediapart published a document said to be a note from the Libyan secret services, mentioning Qaddafi's agreement to provide Mr Sarkozy's campaign with €50 million ($52 million) in financing. The official cost for Mr Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign was €20 million.
Mr Sarkozy strongly rejected the accusations, calling the document a “blatant fake” and filing complaints for forgery, concealment and spreading false news. However, French investigative magistrates eventually said in 2016 the document has all the characteristics of authenticity, although there is no definitive evidence that such a transaction took place.
French investigators scrutinised numerous trips to Libya made by people close to Mr Sarkozy, then the interior minister, between 2005 and 2007, including his chief of staff Claude Gueant. They noted dozens of meetings between Mr Gueant and Mr Takieddine, a leading player in major French military contracts abroad.
In 2016, Mr Takieddine told news site Mediapart that he had delivered three suitcases from Libya containing millions in cash to the French Interior Ministry. However, in 2020 he withdrew his claims. Since then, a separate investigation has been launched into alleged witness tampering over fears attempts had been made to pressure Mr Takieddine in order to clear Mr Sarkozy.
The other accused include three former French ministers, including Mr Gueant, and a former adviser close to Mr Sarkozy. Another defendant, Franco-Algerian businessman Alexandre Djouhri, is also accused of having been an intermediary.
Qaddafi was killed by opposition fighters ending his four decade rule and the case involves his former chief of staff and treasurer Bashir Saleh, who sought refuge in France during the Libyan civil war then moved to South Africa, where he survived a shooting in 2018.
Shukri Ghanem, Qaddafi’s former oil minister who was also suspected, was found dead in the Danube River in Vienna in 2012 in unclear circumstances. French investigators were able to find his notebook, which is believed to document payments made by Libya.
Qaddafi's spy chief and brother-in-law Abdullah Al Senussi, who is presently in prison in Libya accused of war crimes, has previously told investigative judges that Libya sent millions to support Mr Sarkozy's campaign.
Last month France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, upheld a conviction against Mr Sarkozy of corruption and influence peddling while he was the head of state. He was sentenced to one year under house arrest with an electronic tag.
In February last year, an appeals court in Paris also found Mr Sarkozy guilty of illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
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England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
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ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
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Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
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Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
