By Sudouest.fr with AFP
Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced at first instance to three years in prison, including one year, for corruption and influence peddling
The appeal trial of former President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy, his lawyer Thierry Herzog and former high magistrate Gilbert Azibert, in the so-called “wiretapping” case, will be held from November 28 to December 14, decided on Monday the Paris Court of Appeal.
Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced at first instance to three years in prison, including one year, for corruption and influence peddling, an unprecedented decision for a former head of state. The ex-president, who has always claimed to have never committed “the slightest act of corruption”, immediately announced that he was going to appeal, just like MM. Herzog and Azibert, sentenced to the same sentence, together with a five-year ban on practicing for Me Herzog.
In this case born in 2014 of telephone interceptions, also called the “Bismuth” case, the criminal court had estimated that a “corruption pact” had been concluded between Nicolas Sarkozy, his lawyer and the former high magistrate Gilbert Azibert.
Retrial in the Bygmalion case
The judges had considered that the ex-president had been guilty of corruption, by promising to support the candidacy of Gilbert Azibert for a prestigious post in Monaco, in exchange for privileged information, even influence on a appeal in cassation which he had lodged.
During the trial at first instance, the defense protested against a case based on “fantasies” and “hypotheses” and pleaded in unison for release. She had argued that ultimately, Nicolas Sarkozy did not win his case before the Court of Cassation and that Gilbert Azibert never obtained a job in Monaco. According to the law, however, it is not necessary that the consideration has been obtained, nor that the influence be real, to characterize the offenses of corruption and influence peddling.
The former head of state will also be retried in the Bygmalion case after appealing his sentence in September to one year in prison for illegal financing of his lost presidential campaign in 2012.