Prosecutors propose a prison sentence for Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy is the first French president to sit on the bench accused of bribing a judge by offering a high-profile position in exchange for inside information about an investigation into his campaign finances.

Prosecutors have demanded the same sentence for Sarkozy’s lawyer, Thierry Erzog, also a defendant in the case, as for the judge involved, Gilbert Aziber. In addition, for Erzog, they asked to have his license revoked for five years. The maximum penalty for corruption and illicit influence charges is 10 years in prison and a fine of 1 million euros.

Sarkozy, president of France from 2007 to 2012, told the court on Monday (December 7) that he had never committed “the slightest act of corruption” and promised to go “to the end” to clear his name. The former president expressed satisfaction at the prospect of a fair trial after “I was dragged through the mud for six years.” “What did I do to deserve this?” He asked.

According to prosecutors, Sarkozy and Erzog tried to bribe Azimber in exchange for information on the investigation into allegations that the 65-year-old had received illegal funding from Lillian Betancourt, the successor to L’Oreal who died in 2017, during his 2007 election campaign.

The case is based on recorded conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer. Aziber, the supreme judge at the time, never assumed the position allegedly offered by the former president in Monaco.