Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a high-profile trial over allegations that he and his aides struck a corrupt pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to secure illegal funding for Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign.
Sarkozy, however, was cleared of three other charges. Presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino announced on Thursday that while Sarkozy was convicted of conspiracy, he was acquitted of charges related to corruption, misuse of Libyan public funds, and illegal campaign financing. His sentence has yet to be determined, according to The Guardian.
The former president, who has denied all wrongdoing, is expected to appeal the ruling immediately.
Prosecutors argued that Sarkozy and his team orchestrated a “corruption pact” with Gaddafi’s regime in 2005, in exchange for millions in campaign funds. In return, Libya allegedly expected diplomatic, legal, and business favors, along with Sarkozy’s efforts to rehabilitate Gaddafi’s international image.
Gaddafi, who ruled Libya with an iron fist for over 41 years, remained internationally isolated for his regime’s links to terrorism and widespread human rights abuses until his death in 2011.
