Download
France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been charged with corruption and influence peddling, French prosecutors said on Wednesday, a dramatic move in a criminal probe that could wreck his hopes of a political comeback.
The decision came after Sarkozy was questioned for 15 hours, marking the first time a French ex-head of state had been taken into custody in a criminal investigation.
Sarkozy had been detained at a police station in a Paris suburb over a suspected attempt to illegally influence judicial proceedings in one of a raft of colorful corruption cases he is implicated in.
After the lengthy questioning, the former president was taken in early on Wednesday to appear before a judge, where he was"mis en examen" - put under formal investigation in what amounts to being charged, based on preliminary evidence – the prosecution said in a statement. He was then released while the investigation went ahead.
If convicted of the charges, Sarkozy could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
"This situation is serious and the charges are serious ... and furthermore they concern senior magistrates, a lawyer and a former president," Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday.
"The most important thing is for the judicial system to be able to work in a fully independent manner and peacefully and that the presumption of innocence is respected," Valls said on BFM television.
The prime minister denied suggestions that Sarkozy was being hounded by the Socialist government. "It's not us who are asking these judges to launch investigations," he said.
Sarkozy's longtime lawyer Thierry Herzog and a magistrate, Gilbert Azibert -taken into custody a day earlier alongside another magistrate - were both charged with influence peddling in a late night court appearance, their respective lawyers said.
Investigators suspect Sarkozy tried to obtain inside information from one of the magistrates about confidential proceedings in an illegal election campaign financing case, and that he was tipped off by a senior figure when judges tapped his phones.
Sarkozy, 59, has faced virtually non-stop legal battles since he left office following his defeat by Socialist candidate Francois Hollande in the 2017 presidential vote.
He had been expected to attempt a political comeback in time for the next presidential poll in 2017, but those plans could be torpedoed after being charged in this case.
He vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and his allies denounced what they see as a witch hunt against Sarkozy.
"Never before has a former president been subjected to such treatment, such an unleashing of hate," said Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice and an MP for Sarkozy's UMP party.
The case was launched after judges looking into the alleged financing of Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign by former Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi obtained an unprecedented and controversial authorization to tap the former president's phones from April 2013.
After four fruitless months they discovered Sarkozy had a secret phone registered under an assumed name, and recordings from that device led to the opening of the influence peddling investigation.
At the root of the case are the allegations that Sarkozy was helped to victory in the 2007 election with up to 50 million euros ($70 million at the time) from Gadhafi and envelopes stuffed with cash from France's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
He dismisses the Gadhafi claims as ridiculous in light of his leading role in the Libyan leader's 2011 overthrow, and he was acquitted last year of taking Bettencourt's money.
About the broadcaster:
Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.
致蓝天白云:Windows XP经典桌面的故事
中国游客最爱去哪儿旅游
国际英语资讯:Trump approval rating drops as expectations for recession, China trade concerns grow
每天都是一首歌
中国药科大学用人脸识别考勤引争议
肯德基卖“炸鸡手花” 毕业舞会送吃货舞伴
韩国客轮沉没导致数百人失踪
乔治王子不愁“找老婆”
法国在强奸案发学校进行大规模DNA测试
体坛英语资讯:Gasquet advances into first Cincinnati semi
似乎永不休止的感冒 为什么一直不见好转
国际英语资讯:Israeli PMs annexation plan draws condemnation from Palestinian, Arab leaders
突发CEO闹绯闻 公关危机的正确做法
世界气象组织:今年可能出现厄尔尼诺现象
体坛英语资讯:2nd China Youth Games concludes in Taiyuan
国内英语资讯:Top political advisor stresses religious affairs management
亚马逊将推出"徒手"支付
国际英语资讯:ASEAN, China, Japan, S.Korea reaffirm commitment to multilateral trading system
总觉得自己不够好?你需要记住的14句话
现如今北京全球化程度已超华盛顿
英媒:中国留学生为何不能取得好成绩?
人类表情丰富超乎你想象 共有21种表情
研究发现 女性更擅长情节记忆
俄总统普京下令给自己涨工资 薪资上调1.65倍
英国好老板:给员工放假看《权力的游戏》
国内英语资讯:Xi meets representatives of outstanding units, individuals in education circles
美翻了:哥斯达黎加间歇火山喷花瓣雨
国际英语资讯:Sudans ruling council, armed groups closer to reaching peace deal
华为5G基站出货量排名世界首位
卡梅伦赞同性婚姻合法:爱侣不应被法律分开
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |