萨科齐卷入政治献金案 住所遭突击搜查

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's home and offices were raided by French police in a dramatic new development in a political funding scandal.

Magistrates are investigating claims that house staff of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L'Oréal cosmetics empire and France's richest woman, handed over brown envelopes stuffed with cash to Mr Sarkozy and his aides to finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign.

Officers from Paris's financial brigade raided a town mansion belonging to Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy where the former first couple live, as well the law firm where Mr Sarkozy used to be an associate, and the offices he is entitled to as former head of state.

Mr Sarkozy lost his presidential immunity on June 16, a month after leaving office, and there had been speculation that Bordeaux judge Jean-Michel Gentil would approach him as part of the illegal cash donation inquiry.

The judge is also investigating whether the aged billionaire's entourage is guilty of "abuse of weakness" – taking advantage of her waning mental capacities for financial gain.

Eleven people have already been charged in the case.

Mr Sarkozy and his wife were away on holiday in Canada when judge Gentil and a dozen fraud squad officers burst into their home in the chic 16th arrondissement, before moving onto the Arnaud, Claude and associates law firm which Mr Sarkozy part owns, and his offices in rue de Miromesnil near the Champs-Elysées.

Several former employees of Mrs Bettencourt and her late husband André have the told the judge that Mr Sarkozy discreetly turned up in person to their mansion in Neuilly at least twice before his election in February and April 2007. These staff members include her former chauffeur, nurse and butler.

French law limits individual donations to political parties to 7,500 euros per person per year and 4,600 euros during political campaigns. Only 150 euros may be given in cash.

Mr Sarkozy is potentially facing questioning in a separate probe into who ordered French intelligence services to unlawfully identify the source of journalists investigating the Bettencourt scandal.

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

双语资讯

(Agencies)

法国警方近日搜查了前总统尼古拉-萨科齐和夫人卡拉-布吕尼的住所和办公室。萨科奇涉嫌卷入一起政治献金丑闻，而这起案件如今又有了戏剧性的最新进展。

据称，法国最富有的女富豪、欧莱雅集团女继承人莉莉亚娜-贝当古的家佣曾经交给萨科奇和他的助手几个装满现金的棕色信封，以资助他成功赢得2007年的总统大选。

巴黎金融调查组突然对萨科奇和布吕尼居住的一处宅邸、萨科奇曾经做过合伙人的律师事务所、以及担任总统时的办公室进行了搜查。

萨科奇自今年6月16日开始失去总统豁免权，也就是他卸任后一个月。当时已有猜测认为波多尔地区的让-米歇尔-詹蒂尔法官会联系他进行非法政治献金丑闻的审问。

该法官还在调查年老亿万富翁的这位随从是否“滥用弱势”，利用贝当古年老体衰来获取经济利益。

已有11人在这起案件中遭到指控。

当詹蒂尔法官和十几名犯罪调查组工作人员进入萨科奇的宅邸搜查时，萨科奇夫妇正远在加拿大度假。这座宅邸位于时尚的第16行政区。随后调查人员又搜查了萨科奇入股的阿尔诺-克劳德律师事务所，以及他位于爱丽舍宫附近米罗梅尼尔街的办公室。

贝当古几位前雇员以及她已故的丈夫安德烈曾告诉法官，在2007年2月和4月大选期间，萨科奇曾至少两次亲自前往贝当古位于纳伊的住所，而且行事十分小心。这些雇员包括贝当古的前司机、护士和男管家。

法国法律规定，每人每年向政治党派的捐献金额不得超过7500欧元，而在大选期间，则不得超过4600欧元。其中现金不得超过150欧元。

法国情报部门还就贝当古丑闻一案被媒体曝光的消息

Vocabulary: