…By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal against a corruption conviction, marking the first time a head of state in France will be tagged.
The Paris Appeal Court ruled that two out of three years of his prison sentence will be suspended.
Instead of serving the third year in a cell, the 68-year-old will be allowed to wear an electronic tag while at home.
Sarkozy’s Insistence on Innocence and Unique Tagging
Despite his insistence on innocence, Nicolas Sarkozy, along with his third wife Carla Bruni, will now navigate daily life with the electronic tag.
This makes him the first former French president to be subject to such monitoring.
Sarkozy, known for his role in French politics and his marriage to former supermodel Carla Bruni, will experience a unique form of sentence enforcement.
Conviction and Bribery Attempt
In 2021, Nicolas Sarkozy and his lawyer, Thierry Herzog, were found guilty of attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for confidential information.
The case was linked to a separate corruption investigation concerning allegations of illegal payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt to finance Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign.
Historic Corruption Conviction and Additional Charges
The 2021 guilty verdict against Nicolas Sarkozy marked the first conviction of a former French president for corruption while in office.
In the same year, he faced another conviction for illegally funding his re-election campaign.
As a result, Sarkozy faces prison time for both offenses.
Verdict Resulting from Lengthy Trial
The verdict, delivered by the Paris Correctional Court, came after a five-week trial.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Sarkozy manipulated financial records during his unsuccessful 2012 presidential bid.
Conclusion:
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s appeal against his corruption conviction has been unsuccessful.
While he will serve a three-year prison sentence, the Paris Appeal Court has suspended two years of his term, allowing him to wear an electronic tag at home instead of being incarcerated.
Sarkozy’s conviction marked a historic moment in French politics, as he became the first former president to be found guilty of corruption while in office.
The case was linked to allegations of bribery and illegal campaign funding.
Despite his claims of innocence, Sarkozy now faces the reality of serving his sentence with monitoring technology, making him a unique figure in French political history.