The trial is set to hear explosive evidence that the rightwinger, along with 12 other co-defendants, conspired to take cash from the Libyan leader to illegally fund his victorious 2007 bid for the presidency.Sarkozy, who has faced a litany of legal problems since his one term in office, denies the Libyan allegations — the most serious he faces.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy looks on prior to an interview in the evening news broadcast of French TV channel TF1, in the TF1 studios in Boulogne-Billancourt, outside Paris, on August 23, 2023. AFP PHOTOThe two leaders enjoyed surprisingly cordial ties, with Sarkozy letting the Libyan strongman pitch his Bedouin tent opposite the Elysee Palace on a state visit to France just months after his election.