Start of the Case
Shortly before the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, his son Saif al-Islam stated in an interview with Euronews that he had evidence of payments from the Gaddafi regime to Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign in 2007.
"I personally witnessed the delivery of the first tranche of money to Claude Guéant in Tripoli," he said.
What Are the Charges Against Nicolas Sarkozy?
Nicolas Sarkozy is facing trial for illegal financing of his electoral campaign, concealment of embezzlement of public funds, passive corruption, and involvement in a criminal organization.
He is accused of entering into a corrupt agreement with Gaddafi to finance his successful 2007 campaign, particularly in exchange for diplomatic services, such as rehabilitating Gaddafi on the international stage and attempting to overturn a conviction in France against the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdallah Senussi.
The latter is considered responsible for the 1984 bombing over the Nigerian desert of a French UTA airline plane, resulting in the deaths of 170 people.
What Are the Risks He Faces?
The former president could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros. This is Sarkozy's fifth trial, where he will appear in court for the first time. What could work against him in this case?
Several Ongoing Investigations
Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to one year of house arrest with an electronic bracelet for corruption and influence peddling in a case involving wiretapping, and was also convicted in an appeal in February 2024 for excessive spending on his failed 2012 campaign.
In October 2023, he was additionally charged in an investigation into possible fraudulent maneuvers aimed at refuting allegations made in 2020 by intermediary Ziad Takieddine regarding the financing of his 2007 electoral campaign.
Sarkozy's consulting activities in Russia are also under preliminary investigation by the national financial prosecutor's office, as is his dinner in 2010 with high-ranking Qatari leaders and Michel Platini (the former head of FIFA), which could have led to the controversial awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Who Are the Other Key Figures in This Case?
Ziad Takieddine
Several months after the publication of a 2006 Mediapart article claiming that Tripoli paid 50 million euros for Nicolas Sarkozy's electoral campaign, Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine stated in December 2012 that he had evidence of this financing.
While in hiding in Lebanon, he retracted his testimony in 2020 and then confirmed the allegations in 2021.
Claude Guéant
The former secretary of the Élysée Palace is on trial for acting as an intermediary in receiving these Libyan funds through the networks of Ziad Takieddine and Alexandre Djouri.
In 2008, after the presidential elections, he received a transfer of 500,000 euros, which he claims came from the sale of paintings to a Malaysian lawyer, who was also implicated in this case but has since died.
Two days before the transfer, the lawyer received 500,000 euros from a Saudi businessman close to Alexandre Djouri, who reimbursed him for that amount.
Alexandre Djouri
The 66-year-old Franco-Algerian businessman, close to Chirac and the Françafrique networks, is accused of benefiting from misappropriated Libyan state funds.
Brice Hortefeux
The former Minister of the Interior is also alleged to have acted as an intermediary and transferred funds through offshore accounts.
Éric Woerth
The former Minister of Labor and Budget under Sarkozy, he was the treasurer of the 2007 electoral campaign.
Accused of "complicity in illegal financing of the electoral campaign," he admits to having received anonymous cash donations during the presidential campaign, which he redistributed among his teams.
How Long Will the Trial Last?
The trial, which began on Monday, January 6, at the Paris Criminal Court, is expected to last until April 12.