Sarkozy sentenced to five years over Libyan campaign funding scheme

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to seek funding from Libya for his 2007 presidential campaign. The court also imposed a 100,000 euro fine and ordered that Sarkozy be taken into custody at a later date; prosecutors were given up to one month to notify him when his incarceration will begin. The custody order is to remain in force even if he appeals.

Presiding Judge Nathalie Gavarino said the court found that Sarkozy had allowed close aides to act in his name to obtain or attempt to obtain illegal funding from Libyan sources between 2005 and 2007. The court described the offences as of exceptional gravity. Sarkozy was acquitted of related counts including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds, the court said, because it found insufficient evidence that Libyan money actually reached his campaign.

Prosecutors had alleged that the Libyan state under the late Muammar Gaddafi provided millions of euros to help finance Sarkozy’s bid in exchange for diplomatic favors, and that a network of...