French prosecutors seek trial for Sarkozy over Libya financing for 2007 campaign

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PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors are searching for to ship former President Nicolas Sarkozy and 13 others to trial on prices that his 2007 presidential marketing campaign acquired tens of millions in unlawful financing from the federal government of late Libyan chief Moammar Gadhafi.

After a decade of investigation, the French nationwide monetary prosecutor’s workplace introduced its resolution Friday to hunt a trial. It is now as much as judges to find out whether or not to maneuver forward. Generally, judges in France observe such prosecutors’ requests, although not all the time.

The case is the most important and most surprising of a number of corruption investigations involving Sarkozy. He has been convicted in two others. He denies wrongdoing in all instances.

Within the Libya case, he’s charged with unlawful marketing campaign financing, embezzling, passive corruption and associated counts.

Sarkozy has been beneath investigation within the Libya case since 2013. Investigators examined claims that Gadhafi’s authorities secretly gave Sarkozy 50 million euros for his successful 2007 French marketing campaign. The sum could be greater than double the authorized marketing campaign funding restrict on the time, 21 million euros, and would violate French guidelines in opposition to international marketing campaign financing.

The investigation gained traction when French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine advised information web site Mediapart in 2016 that he had delivered suitcases from Libya containing 5 million euros ($6.2 million) in money to Sarkozy and his former chief of employees. Takieddine later reversed course and Sarkozy sought to have the investigation closed.

After changing into president in 2007, Sarkozy welcomed Gadhafi to France with excessive honors later that yr. Sarkozy then put France on the forefront of NATO-led airstrikes that helped insurgent fighters topple Gadhafi’s authorities in 2011.

In an unrelated case, Sarkozy was sentenced to a yr of home arrest for unlawful marketing campaign financing of his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid. In one other, he was discovered responsible of corruption and affect peddling and given a yr in jail. Sarkozy is free whereas each instances are pending enchantment.

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