Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to a two-year suspended prison term. Indeed, the former French president has long been at the centre of a scandal. It is the « wiretapping » affair. On Monday 7 December, Nicolas Sarkozy vigorously denied any corruption in this affair. The next day, Tuesday 8 December, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office requested four years in prison, two of which were suspended, against former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is on trial for corruption and influence peddling, a trial that is unprecedented in France.

The prosecution sought the same sentences for former high magistrate Gilbert Azibert, as well as for Thierry Herzog, the former head of state’s historical lawyer, requesting that he be subject to a five-year professional ban. The verdict is expected on December 10.

The Indictment

Nicolas sarkozy sentenced. Indeed, after two months of an unprecedented trial under the Fifth Republic, the hour of denouement has sounded for Nicolas Sarkozy.

After nearly five hours of a methodical and arid indictment, the financial prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon demanded four years in prison, two of which were suspended, against Nicolas Sarkozy.

According to the colleagues of France 24, this is the first time that a prison sentence has been required against a former president under the Fifth Republic. In the case of fictitious jobs, the prosecutor’s office had asked at the time for the release of Jacques Chirac, who had finally been convicted.

« The facts would not have happened if a former president, a lawyer by the way, had kept in mind the greatness, responsibility, and duties of his office, » said prosecutor Mr. Blachon. « The Republic does not forget its presidents, if only because they make history. On the other hand, it cannot be admitted from a former president that he forgets the Republic and what it has been wearing for several decades: a rule of law. he continued.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced, is suspected of having entered into such a « corruption pact » by obtaining information protected by secrecy, via his lawyer Thierry Herzog, from the high magistrate Gilbert Alibert, on an appeal to the Court of Cassation. The latter is also suspected of having tried to influence the proceedings, in exchange for the promise of a « help » for a position in Monaco that he ultimately never had.

Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced, his lawyer speaks of a flawed case

This is not at all the opinion of the former head of state’s defence, reports Marine de la Moissonnière, from RFI’s France service. For Nicolas Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office « spoke very loudly » during its requisitions, simply to mask the weakness, the shortcomings of the file.

Before these requisitions and after several days of tense debate, the head of the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) Jean-François Bohnert came in person in « support » to his two colleagues. « No one here is seeking revenge on a former president of the Republic, » said Jean-François Bohnert, responding to the many criticisms against the PNF in recent months and its questioning by the right.

The telephone conversations on which the case is based are no evidence, Nicolas Sarkozy said forcefully during his interrogation on Monday. Where the PNF sees irrefutable evidence, he talks about « talking, » « snippets of conversation » between two friends.

Mr. Laffont promised to dismantle the charges of the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office during his oral argument. Defence lawyers will be speaking on Wednesday and Thursday.
« Everyone has witnessed the fact that today we can say that the requisitions are also disproportionate to the absence of this prosecutor’s office throughout these debates, » said Mr. Laffont.

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