France’s ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of illegal campaign funding and has been sentenced to one year in prison without parole. He stayed away from the verdict.
France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to one year in prison for illegally financing the election campaign. The Paris court ruled Thursday that the sentence would take the form of electronically monitored house arrest. “As a candidate, he failed to control costs,” said presiding judge Caroline Viguier in Paris. Sarkozy stayed away from the verdict.
The prosecutor had asked for a year in prison, including six months on probation. The defense demanded acquittal for the conservative former head of state.
Nicolas Sarkozy: Overspending was covered up
Prosecutors are accusing Sarkozy of illegally funding the failed campaign for his re-election in 2012. In France, spending on an election campaign is capped in order to create more equality of opportunity between candidates. The upper limit allowed at that time was 22.5 million euros. In fact, Sarkozy’s team is said to have spent at least 42.8 million.
In order to cover up the overspending, expenses are said to have been camouflaged by a system of fictitious invoices from his party UMP – now renamed Republicans. In addition to Sarkozy, 13 people are on trial on suspicion of fraud and aiding and abetting.
The French judiciary is also investigating Sarkozy for alleged payments made by Libya in the 2007 election campaign. In another affair, Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison in March, two of which were suspended, for bribery and illicit influence. He has announced that he will appeal.
Note. This article has been updated.
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