Paris (France), 25 September (LaPresse/AP) – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived at the court in Paris, which is due to rule today on the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of then Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy is accompanied by his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. The former Élysée Palace resident sat in the front row among the seats reserved for defendants. His three adult children are also present in the courtroom. If convicted, Sarkozy, 70, would be the first former French president found guilty of accepting illegal foreign funds to win elections. He could appeal against a possible guilty verdict, which would suspend the sentence pending the appeal. Sarkozy, elected in 2007 but defeated in the 2012 elections, denied any wrongdoing during a three-month trial earlier this year that also involved 11 co-defendants, including three former ministers.
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