By Sodeeq Kamsela, with agency reports
A Paris court on Thursday sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy for accepting illegal campaign funds from late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi during his 2007 presidential campaign.
The 70-year-old was also fined €100,000 ($117,000) and barred from holding public office. Prosecutors were instructed to notify him within one month when he must report to prison, and the order stands even if he appeals. Should he serve the sentence, Sarkozy would become the first president in modern French history to be jailed.
Presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino described the offences as of “exceptional gravity” and warned they were “likely to undermine the confidence of citizens.” Sarkozy, who maintains his innocence, is expected to appeal the ruling and could also apply for parole based on his age.
This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s mounting legal troubles. He has already been found guilty in two separate cases: one for corruption and influence peddling in 2021, and another for illegal campaign financing in 2023. On those occasions, he avoided prison, once serving his sentence under electronic monitoring.
The scandal stems from allegations that Kadhafi’s regime secretly provided millions of euros to bankroll Sarkozy’s successful 2007 campaign. The claims first surfaced in 2011 after Kadhafi’s fall, when members of his regime alleged cash payments had been made to Sarkozy’s team.
Over the years, French investigators gathered documents, testimonies, and financial trails supporting the suspicion, though Sarkozy has consistently denied the accusations and described them as politically motivated.
The ruling marks a dramatic turn for a man once seen as a central figure in European politics. Sarkozy, who rose to the presidency on promises of reform and strong leadership, has seen his legacy overshadowed by years of legal battles.
The judgment also underscores the growing determination of France’s judiciary to hold political leaders accountable, sending a powerful signal that not even former presidents are beyond the reach of the law.
