DOWNFALL

French Ex-President Sarkozy Charged Over Alleged Libyan Election Cash

Facing charges of corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealing illicit funds.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been charged with corruption and illegal campaign financing over allegations his 2007 election campaign received $60 million in illicit funds from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The 63-year-old former French leader, who was questioned by investigators for more than 15 hours before the charges were leveled against him, has also been accused of concealing the Libyan money, Agence France-Presse reports. He was allowed to return home but will be kept under court supervision. Investigators had been looking into allegations against Sarkozy by former members of Gaddafi’s regime since 2013, and Wednesday’s charges are thought to have come after Libyan sources provided new evidence of alleged illicit cash flows. Sarkozy, who has denied the charges, is already due to stand trial over unrelated charges concerning the financing of his 2012 re-election campaign.