Nicolas Sarkozy said to be tried for funding breaches in 2012 re-election bid
A source says the trial was ordered on the charge that the former French leader spent way more than he was entitled to, despite warnings from his accountants
Paris — A magistrate has ordered former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to stand trial over irregularities in the funding of his failed 2012 re-election bid, a judicial source said on Tuesday. The charge against Sarkozy, who led France for five years from 2007, exposes the conservative politician to a one-year prison sentence if convicted. One of two magistrates handling the case ordered the trial on the charge that Sarkozy spent way more than he was entitled to, despite warnings from his accountants. The source, who was speaking on condition of anonymity as is often the case in France when initial announcements of trials are made, said 13 others would also face trial over the affair. The source said it was still possible that an appeal could be lodged against the trial order because it was signed by only one of the two magistrates in charge of the case. No comment could be immediately obtained from Sarkozy’s aides. The trial order comes at a time when French politicians face growi...
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