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| Villepin cleared of Sarkozy smear | Villepin cleared of Sarkozy smear |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Former French PM Dominique de Villepin has been cleared of plotting to discredit the then interior minister and now President, Nicolas Sarkozy. | Former French PM Dominique de Villepin has been cleared of plotting to discredit the then interior minister and now President, Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| The charges, which Mr de Villepin denied, date back to a judicial investigation in 2004. | The charges, which Mr de Villepin denied, date back to a judicial investigation in 2004. |
| Prosecutors had called for him to receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 50,000 euros (£43,000). | Prosecutors had called for him to receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 50,000 euros (£43,000). |
| He was accused of manipulating the Clearstream corruption probe to spoil Mr Sarkozy's chances of a 2007 victory. | |
| The judge in the case said there was no proof Mr de Villepin had acted in bad faith. | |
| Mr de Villepin had been accused of failing to stop the corruption inquiry into Mr Sarkozy, knowing the accusations against his rival to be false, five years ago when both men were hoping to succeed Jacques Chirac as President. | |
| Mr Sarkozy had appeared on a list of names wrongly linked to an illegal bank account and an arms sales bribery investigation. |