Sarkozy Faces Trial Over Alleged Gaddafi Campaign Funds

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial in Paris on Monday, accused of accepting millions of euros in illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign. The trial, which is expected to last three months, marks a significant moment in French political history, as Sarkozy becomes the first former president to face such charges.

Sarkozy, 69, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has consistently denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated. The prosecution alleges that Sarkozy promised to help Gaddafi improve his international reputation in exchange for campaign funding. The investigation began in 2013 after Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son, accused Sarkozy of accepting funds from Libya.

Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who acted as a middleman between France and the Middle East, claimed to have evidence that Sarkozy’s campaign was