Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces a potential seven-year prison sentence for accepting millions of dollars in illegal campaign funds from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid.

Paris

French prosecutors have called for a seven-year prison sentence for former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is accused of accepting millions of dollars in illegal campaign funds from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential bid. Prosecutors allege that Sarkozy and Gaddafi engaged in a secretive and corrupt arrangement that benefited both parties, including a high-profile state visit to Paris after Sarkozy's election.

Sarkozy's legal team has rejected the charges as baseless and contradictory, while Sarkozy himself claims the accusations are fabricated by political opponents and Libyan officials. Legal experts say the trial demonstrates that no one, not even a former president, is above the law in France. If convicted, Sarkozy faces a significant fall from grace as one of France's most prominent right-wing figures.

French prosecutors demand prison for Sarkozy in Libya funding case

Nicolas Sarkozy has kept a low profile in France since April, when he walked out of a Paris courtroom at the end of his biggest corruption trial yet. The former French president is accused of accepting millions of dollars of illegal funds for his successful 2007 presidential campaign from former Libyan leader Mohamed Gaddafi in return for favours. Sarkozy's lawyers say the charges are baseless. Nicolas Sarkozy has nothing to do with these accusations that are full of contradictions, that don't hold up and that are built on sand. Prosecutors have asked for a seven-year prison sentence for the former president. They say Sarkozy and Gaddafi made a secretive and corrupt pact that spanned years and continents that helped Gaddafi improve his global reputation while the Libyan leader bankrolled Sarkozy's election in 2007. Shortly after his presidential victory, Sarkozy invited Gaddafi to Paris for a lavish state visit. Gaddafi wanted to re-enter the world stage after being regarded as a prior by the West for decades. Sarkozy rolled out the red carpet. The five-day visit included banquets and a private visit to the Palace of Versailles. This legal expert says the trial sends a powerful message that not even a former president is above the law in France. It shows that even if you were once president, the justice system can catch up with you decades later. It also reveals that these are professions where corruption is a real risk, so clearly extra preventative measures are needed. Sarkozy says the claims against him are fantasy and fabrication. He says opponents in France want to discredit him and Libyan officials want revenge for France's role in Gaddafi's demise. But if he's found guilty, it will be a spectacular fall from grace for one of the country's most influential and controversial right-wing figures. Natasha Butler, Al Jazeera, Paris.

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