Nicolas Sarkozy should be cleared of defrauding Liliane Bettencourt, says prosecutor
Former president stands accused of de-frauding the L’Oréal heiress to finance his 2007 election campaign
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A French state prosecutor recommended yesterday that former President Nicolas Sarkozy should be cleared of abusing the mental weakness of France’s wealthiest woman.
The final decision on whether Mr Sarkozy should stand trial rests, however, with the three investigating magistrates who formally accused him in March of de-frauding the octogenarian L’Oréal heiress, Liliane Bettencourt, to finance his 2007 presidential campaign.
The state prosecutor in Bordeaux, where the case is being handled, announced yesterday that there was insufficient evidence against Mr Sarkozy or against the former French budget minister, Eric Woerth. He recommended that six other men should go for trial, including Ms Bettencourt’s friend, the society photographer, François-Marie Banier, and her former financial adviser, Patrice de Maistre.
The prosecutors’ doubts about the strength of the case against Mr Sarkozy have been known for several weeks. The investigating magistrates must decide late next month whether they accept the prosecutor’s ruling.
In another scandal in which Mr Sarkozy’s name has appeared, another team of investigating magistrates in Paris yesterday formally accused the business tycoon Bernard Tapie, 70, of taking part in a conspiracy to defraud the French state in 2008. A supposedly independent arbitration panel paid Mr Tapie €405m to settle a 15-year-old dispute over the sale of the sports company Adidas by a state-owned bank.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments