Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is set to face three years in prison after being found guilty of corruption.
Sarkozy, 66, who was French leader between 2007 and 2012, was found guilty of attempting to acquire illegal information from a senior magistrate back in 2014 when an active probe into his finances was being conducted, a report by Wanted in Europe said.
A Paris court ruled that Sarkozy tried to bribe a judge and influence-peddle in exchange for confidential information in relation to an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances.
In particular, he was said to have offered to secure a plum job in Monaco for a judge, Gilbert Azibert—who was similarly slapped with charges—in exchange for inside information about the probe into allegations that he accepted illegal payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.
He was the second French leader convicted of corruption.
Sarkozy, however, denied any wrongdoing. While he was slapped with a three-year jail time, he could not spend time in prison as two years of his sentence were suspended.
Judge Christine Mee, the presiding judge, said she would allow him to be tagged with an electronic bracelet outside of prison and remain in his house for the remainder of his supposed jail term.
Mee said that the latter “took advantage of his status and the relationships he had made.” Sarkozy left the court without speaking. He, however, had 10 days to appeal.
The ex-French leader has already retired from politics but remained influential among conservatives.
Apart from the corruption allegations, Sarkozy was yet to be out of the woods, as he is also set to face trial for alleged violations of campaign finances during his 2012 bid.
Sarkozy was said to have worked with a public relations company to conceal the real cost of his campaign.
He was also said to have secured illegal financing from Libya.
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