Sarkozy says he's innocent

  • 23/03/2018
 Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy. Photo credit: Reuters

French former President Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly denied all allegations that he accepted millions of euros in illegal campaign funding from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"I am accused without any physical evidence" Sarkozy said in his statement to the investigating judges, according to Le Figaro newspaper, which published the text online Thursday.

He said he is "living the hell of this slander" since 2011 and denounced the accusations as lies.

Sarkozy's entourage did not immediately confirm the text's authenticity, but did not dispute it either.

Sarkozy, 63, on Wednesday was handed preliminary charges of illegally funding his successful 2007 campaign, passive corruption and receiving money from Libyan embezzlement after being questioned for two days by anticorruption police.

Investigators are examining allegations that Gaddafi's regime secretly gave Sarkozy €50 million for his 2007 presidential election bid

Reuters