Paris: Nicolas Sarkozy is set to be the first French President who will serve time in prison.
The former President was on Thursday sentenced to five-year jail term after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy over attempts to illegally raise campaign funds from Libya.
In his order, the judge said that Sarkozy — who was President between 2007 and 2012 — will be imprisoned even if he appeals the sentence. The date of his incarceration will be decided later.
The 70-year-old Sarkozy was found guilty of acquiring illegal financing from then-Libyan government of leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy reportedly took money from Libya in a criminal association plot from 2005 to 2007 to finance his campaigns in exchange for diplomatic favours.
Sarkozy was cleared of three other charges, including passive corruption and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds, Associated Press reported.
Former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, two of Sarkozy’s close associates, were also found guilty of criminal association.
The chief judge said in his verdict that Sarkozy allowed his close aides to reach out to Libyan officials “to obtain or try to obtain financial support in Libya for the purpose of securing campaign financing.”
The court stated it couldn’t be ascertained that the Libyan money was actually used in Sarkozy’s campaign, but as per French law, a corrupt scheme can still be a crime even if money was not paid or cannot be proven.
Sarkozy was visibly moved as he exited the courtroom.
“What happened today… is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system,” an angry Sarkozy he told reporters.
“If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high,” he said, adding that he was innocent. “I will not apologise for something I didn’t do.”