Prosecutors are calling for former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to be jailed for two years at the end of his landmark corruption trial.
Mr Sarkozy, 65, is accused of trying to bribe a judge with a plum retirement job in Monaco in exchange for information on an inquiry into his campaign finances.
Prosecutors said on Tuesday that Mr Sarkozy should be handed a four-year prison term, of which he should serve two.
They are asking for the same punishment for Mr Sarkozy’s lawyer and co-defendant Thierry Herzog, as well as for the judge, Gilbert Azibert.
They also said Mr Herzog should be disbarred for five years.
Mr Sarkozy is France’s first modern head of state to appear in the dock.
"The facts would not have occurred if a former president, as well as a lawyer, had kept in mind the magnitude, the responsibility and the duties of his office," prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon told the court.
He said the "devastating effects of this affair strike at the values of the Republic". It had damaged the judicial institution, the legal profession and the image of the presidency, he said.
Mr Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, told the court on Monday that he "never committed the slightest act of corruption" and vowed to clear his name.
The corruption and influence-peddling charges – among several legal cases against him – carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of €1 million ($1.2m).
Defending himself in court for the first time on Monday, Mr Sarkozy said he relished the prospect of a fair hearing after being "dragged through the mud for six years. What did I do to deserve this?"
Mr Sarkozy, who wore a dark suit and a surgical mask, vowed to "go all the way for the truth". The courtroom was as packed as coronavirus restrictions would permit.
Prosecutors say he and Mr Herzog tried to bribe Mr Azibert in return for information on an inquiry into claims Mr Sarkozy had received illicit payments from the late L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt during his 2007 presidential campaign.
The state's case is based on wiretaps of conversations between Mr Herzog and Mr Sarkozy, something the former president denounced during his address to the court.
On Tuesday, the prosecutors accused Mr Sarkozy of covering up the attempt to infiltrate the court via "the use of secret telephone lines".
Prosecutor Celine Guillet said it had been established "with certainty" that Mr Azibert transmitted confidential information about the Bettencourt case on an unofficial line to his friend Mr Herzog.
One conversation overwhelmingly showed that Mr Sarkozy had promised to intervene to get Mr Azibert the Monaco post, she said.
Mr Sarkozy's lawyer Jacqueline Laffont lashed out at "the flaws, the inexistence and the emptiness" of the prosecutor's accusations.
Mr Azibert was a senior adviser at France's highest appeals court at the time – he did not get the job in Monaco.
Mr Sarkozy, meanwhile, was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Bettencourt affair but still faces several legal challenges.
He is charged over allegations that he received millions of euros in funding from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to his 2007 election campaign, and he is also accused of fraudulent overspending on his failed 2012 re-election bid.
Mr Sarkozy's former interior minister Brice Hortefeux was charged on Tuesday for "illegal campaign funding and criminal association" in the Libya case.
Only one other French president, Mr Sarkozy's political mentor Jacques Chirac, was put on trial after leaving office, but he was excused from having to attend his 2011 corruption trial because of ill health.
Mr Chirac received a two-year suspended sentence over the creation of ghost jobs at the Paris town hall that were used to fund his party when he was the city's mayor.
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
SPEC%20SHEET
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
