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The case of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy witnessed a remarkable development after the Lebanese security services yesterday arrested Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Taqi al-Din in connection with the file at the request of the international police “Interpol”.
The French judiciary has accused Sarkozy of corruption and that he illegally received money from former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi to finance his campaign in the elections he won in 2007, but Sarkozy has denied wrongdoing.
Ziad Taqi al-Din is one of the main witnesses in the case of Libyan funding for the campaign of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
A Lebanese security source said: “The Information Division of the Internal Security Forces arrested Taqi al-Din on the basis of a telegram received by Interpol’s discriminatory Prosecutor’s Office containing an arrest warrant, as the French authorities are seeking him for charges of involvement in corruption and financing of Sarkozy’s campaign “.
Taqi al-Din is currently being questioned by the Information Section under the supervision of the Attorney General of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, according to the same source. Both are referred to the Public Ministry, which will interrogate him, issue an arrest warrant against him and request his legal file from France.
Sarkozy accused of receiving money from Gaddafi to finance his election campaign (Reuters)And if Lebanon proves the charges contained in his file to Taqi al-Din, it can prosecute him in the country as a Lebanese citizen, or decide to extradite him to France.
French prosecutors are investigating allegations that Muammar Gaddafi supplied Sarkozy with the successful election campaign with millions of euros shipped to Paris in suitcases, charges that Sarkozy denies.
The French Press Agency quoted a Lebanese security source as saying that Ziyad’s arrest came after “his appearance before the Office of Financial Crimes based on a case brought against him in Lebanon. In requesting his court file, it was clear that Interpol had issued an arrest warrant for him, for which he was arrested. “
Taqi al-Din, 70, fled to Beirut after being convicted in Paris last June in the financial aspect of the Karachi case related to the sale of French arms to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The judiciary concluded that he had played the role of mediator and received huge “personal enrichment” commissions.
Taqi al-Din played a key role in the past in relations between France and the Muammar Gaddafi regime. He told French investigators since 2016 that between late 2006 and early 2007, Sarkozy and his office manager had given more than 5 million euros to finance Sarkozy’s presidential campaign.
However, last month he withdrew his accusations in an interview with the French weekly Paris Match and BFMTV.
Taqi al-Din was previously arrested for two weeks between October and November in Lebanon, in connection with a legal dispute with lawyer Hani Mourad, who was assigned to manage his legal affairs after his arrival in Beirut before being fired.
A human rights source, who did not want to be identified, told the French press that Taqi al-Din is being prosecuted in several financial cases in Lebanon, on charges of defamation, fraud and forgery, the latest of which is a complaint. criminal filed by a partner against him on charges of dishonesty and fraud with respect to a drug.
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