Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in the long-running Gaddafi financing scandal.
The Paris criminal court said he allowed aides to seek illicit funds from the late Libyan leader to support his 2007 election bid.
However, Sarkozy was acquitted of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. The judges ruled there was not enough evidence he personally took the money.
Judge Nathalie Gavarino told the court that Sarkozy’s associates opened channels with Libyan officials. Their goal was financial support for his campaign.
The case has trailed him since 2013, when Saif al-Islam, son of Muammar Gaddafi, first accused Sarkozy of taking millions of euros.
In 2014, Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine claimed he had written proof of payments worth about €50m. He said the funding continued even after Sarkozy became president.
Sarkozy, now 70, denied the charges. He called the case “politically motivated” and vowed to appeal the ruling.
He is expected to be sentenced later today. Observers say his legal team will likely challenge the verdict at France’s top court.
A History of Legal Troubles
This is not Sarkozy’s first brush with the law. In 2021, he was convicted of trying to bribe a judge. He became the first French ex-president to receive a custodial sentence.
In 2024, he was found guilty of overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign and hiding it through a PR firm. He received a one-year sentence, with six months suspended.
His wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, also faces charges. Prosecutors say she helped hide evidence linked to the Gaddafi case, but she strongly denies any wrongdoing.
Sarkozy, who ruled France between 2007 and 2012, has faced multiple probes since leaving office. His fall from power has left deep scars on France’s political establishment.
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