New Delhi: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to 5 years in prison on Tuesday in an election finance conspiracy case. This decision was given by a court in Paris, which has created a stir in French politics. According to the information, Sarkozy was accused of spending more money than the legal limit during the 2012 presidential election campaign and using illegal means to hide this money.
After the sentencing, a large number of supporters gathered outside Sarkozy’s private residence in Paris. Louis Sarkozy, son of Nicolas Sarkozy, played a major role in mobilizing this crowd, who had appealed to the people on social media to show solidarity. Sources said supporters raised slogans in favor of Sarkozy and described him as a victim of a political conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Sarkozy’s lawyers have indicated that they will appeal the decision. If an appeal is filed, the sentence may be stayed pending the final decision. Let us tell you, this case is being considered a big blow to French politics because Nicolas Sarkozy has been one of the few prominent leaders till now who has been convicted in cases of corruption and financial irregularities while holding public office. Let us tell you, Nicolas Sarkozy was the President of France from 2007 to 2012. The case relates to his unsuccessful 2012 re-election campaign in which millions of euros of illegal election expenditure were revealed through a fake billing scam known as the BigMallian scandal.