Nicolas Sarkozy
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is about to challenge his prison sentence. This was stated by the representative of his defense, Jacqueline Laffont, in an interview with French television. She is quoted by the Reuters news agency.
The defense plans to appeal on the corruption case of the ex-head of the country.
On March 1, a Paris court sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison, and one year in real prison, in a case of corruption and trading in influence. Two other defendants in the case – former Sarkozy lawyer Thierry Erzog and ex-judge Gilbert Azibert – were found guilty of disclosing professional secrets and received similar sentences.
According to the investigation, the former president, through his lawyer, could promise Aziber a position in Monaco. In exchange, he was supposed to provide confidential information about another investigation: it concerned allegations of illegal financing of Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign by the heiress of the French company L'Oreal, Liliane Bettencourt.
The investigation believes that in 2007, during a meeting with Bettencourt, Sarkozy received 150 thousand euros in cash from her. He allegedly used this money to finance his campaign. According to French law, candidates are prohibited from accepting donations of more than 4.6 thousand euros.
