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| Villepin faces smear case appeal | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Prosecutors in France say they will appeal against the acquittal of ex-PM Dominique de Villepin for smearing his one-time rival Nicolas Sarkozy. | Prosecutors in France say they will appeal against the acquittal of ex-PM Dominique de Villepin for smearing his one-time rival Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| Mr de Villepin was accused of failing to stop the Clearstream corruption inquiry into Mr Sarkozy, despite knowing claims against him were false. | Mr de Villepin was accused of failing to stop the Clearstream corruption inquiry into Mr Sarkozy, despite knowing claims against him were false. |
| The judge said there was no proof Mr De Villepin had acted in bad faith. | The judge said there was no proof Mr De Villepin had acted in bad faith. |
| He had been hoping to succeed Jacques Chirac as president, but Mr Sarkozy eventually won the 2007 poll. | He had been hoping to succeed Jacques Chirac as president, but Mr Sarkozy eventually won the 2007 poll. |
| Paris state prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told French radio: "All has not emerged in this case. There is still scope for a part of the truth to emerge. | Paris state prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told French radio: "All has not emerged in this case. There is still scope for a part of the truth to emerge. |
| "Whatever happens, there will be a second trial." | "Whatever happens, there will be a second trial." |
| On Thursday Mr de Villepin was cleared of four counts of complicity to slander, to use forgeries, dealing in stolen property and breach of trust. | |
| Mr Sarkozy had promised he would "hang from a butcher's hook" for trying to smear his name. | |
| Bribe allegations | |
| In 2004, Mr Sarkozy's name appeared on a list of top politicians and businessmen who were wrongly linked to an illegal bank account in Luxembourg. | |
| THE CLEARSTREAM VERDICTS Dominique de Villepin: Former PM, 55. Acquitted on charges of complicity in slander and forgeryJean-Louis Gergorin: Former EADS vice-president, 63. Sentenced to 15 months in jail and a fine of 40,000 euros (£34,500; $56,000) for slander and use of false documents. Admitted leaking the fake list to investigatorsImad Lahoud: Computer expert, 42. Sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined 40,000 euros for slander and use of false documents. Confessed to adding Sarkozy's name to the listFlorian Bourges: Accountant, 31. Guilty of theft and breach of trust for obtaining the original Clearstream documents. Given a four-month suspended sentence.Denis Robert: Journalist and author who broke the story, 41. Acquitted of dealing in stolen property and breach of trust Victory sets up Villepin comeback Murky tale behind French PM's trial Arch rivals: Sarkozy v Villepin | |
| It was alleged those named on the list had received bribes from international arms sales. | |
| The list was sent to people including Mr de Villepin, who was accused of failing to stop the conspiracy. | |
| During the investigation, Mr de Villepin admitted he knew of the documents - but the court found no evidence to prove he had known they had been faked. | |
| At the trial, prosecutors had called for him to receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros (£39,000). | |
| Three other defendants were convicted, including a former executive of the EADS aerospace group, Jean-Louis Gergorin, who admitted leaking the fake list to investigators, and Imad Lahoud, a computer specialist, who confessed to adding Mr Sarkozy's name to the list. | |
| Both men were fined 40,000 euros (£34,500; $56,000). Gergorin must serve 15 months in prison and Lahoud must serve 18 months. | |
| A fifth defendant was cleared. |