Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, had his conviction for corruption and influence peddling confirmed by the country’s highest court, the Court of Cassation. There was an appeal for Sarkozy’s 2021 conviction where he was sentenced to serve an overall three years, with two under suspension, and the final year under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet.
The conviction originated from an effort staged by Sarkozy to influence a judge and use his relationship to gain confidential information concerning an investigation into his campaign finances in 2007. He further stated that Sarkozy had also siphoned money to secure a position in Monaco for Judge Gilbert Azibert in return for inside information on the place where the inquiry was looking into his allegations of secret payments from L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. Azibert had also been found guilty for his part in the system.
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Despite resigning from the presidency in 2012, Sarkozy is still standing as a vital public figure in the French political establishment. Another case awaits him on allegations of corruption and illegal financing of the said election in 2007, which is purportedly sponsored by Libya. Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing. According to the authorities, if found guilty in the Libya affair, he would face a maximum administrative penalty of 10 years of imprisonment.
The court ruling also means that Sarkozy will wear the electronic bracelet and that he will not be allowed to contest a public office for the next three years.