Nicolas Sarkozy Former French President Sentenced to Jail

 

 Nicolas Sarkozy, a former president of France, has been sentenced to a one-year jail term after he was found guilty by a court in Paris of illegally financing his failed re-election bid in 2012.

The UK Guardian reported that Ex-President Sarkozy who was not in court for the verdict has denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal the historic judgment.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech on the sidelines of a ceremony held to award the Mayor of Calais as Knight of the Legion of Honour. Photo credit: FRANCOIS LO PRESTI/AFP k

Our source also gathers that the court gave the former president the option of serving the jail term at home and under electronic surveillance.

Sarkozy had earlier defended himself by claiming that he was not involved in the logistics of the campaign or in how money was spent.According to the prosecutors, the former French president spent almost twice the maximum permitted amount of €22.5m (about N10,668,462,563.88) on the campaign.

The court, however, said the former president had been made aware of the overspending and it was not necessary for him to have approved each individual payment to be responsible.

Despite the conviction, Reuters stated that Sarkozy is unlikely to go to jail as he will appeal the sentence.

Meanwhile  Sarkozy was earlier found guilty in a separate trial of trying to bribe a judge.

The former president was sentenced to three years in jail in that trial, two of which were suspended.

However, it was gathered that he has not actually spent time in prison yet as he has filed an appeal.

The report of Sarkozy's sentencing has generated reactions  on social media.