Nicolas Sarkozy has another appointment with the law and the reunion is set for the end of the year. His appeal trial in the wiretapping case will be held from November 28 to December 14, the Paris Court of Appeal announced on Monday. The former President of the Republic had been sentenced at first instance to three years in prison, including one firm, for corruption and influence peddling, an unprecedented decision for a former head of state.
Nicolas Sarkozy, who has always claimed never to have committed “the slightest act of corruption“, had immediately announced that he was going to appeal, just like his lawyer Thierry Herzog and the ex-magistrate Gilbert Azibert, sentenced to the same sentence, accompanied by a five-year ban on practicing for Me Herzog. Their trial on appeal is scheduled for nine full or half-days, November 28, 29 and 30, as well as December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14, it was decided during a hearing of procedure.
“Corruption Pact”
In this case born in 2014 of telephone interceptions, also called the “Bismuth” case, the criminal court had estimated that a “bribery pact” had been concluded between Nicolas Sarkozy, his lawyer and the former high magistrate Gilbert Azibert. The judges had considered that the ex-president had been guilty of corruption, by promising to support the candidacy of Gilbert Azibert for a prestigious position in Monaco, in exchange for privileged information, even influence on an appeal in cassation that he had filed.
During the trial at first instance, the defense protested against a file based on “fantasies” and “hypotheses” and had pleaded in unison for the release. She had argued that in the end, Nicolas Sarkozy did not win his case before the Court of Cassation and that Gilbert Azibert never obtained a post in Monaco. According to the law, it is however not necessary that the consideration has been obtained, nor that the influence be real, to characterize the offenses of corruption and influence peddling.
Nicolas Sarkozy said he was the victim of a “deep injustice” and had assured that he “(would fight) until the end for the truth to triumphWithdrawn from political life since 2016 but still popular on the right, the former head of state will also be retried in the Bygmalion case after appealing his sentence in September to one year in prison for illegal financing of his lost 2012 presidential campaign.