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| Nicolas Sarkozy charged with corruption and illegal use of influence by police | Nicolas Sarkozy charged with corruption and illegal use of influence by police |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been charged with corruption and illegally using his influence after a day in custody. | The former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been charged with corruption and illegally using his influence after a day in custody. |
| The disgraced politician was questioned by police for 15 hours, Le Monde reported, and was left without a lawyer when Thierry Herzog was also arrested along with two senior judges. | The disgraced politician was questioned by police for 15 hours, Le Monde reported, and was left without a lawyer when Thierry Herzog was also arrested along with two senior judges. |
| Mr Sarkozy, 59, has become the first former French President taken into custody in a criminal investigation, making his widely anticipated political comeback look ever more unlikely. | Mr Sarkozy, 59, has become the first former French President taken into custody in a criminal investigation, making his widely anticipated political comeback look ever more unlikely. |
| The right-wing leader has been accused of multiple illegal dealings, mostly linked to the financing of his 2007 and 2012 election campaigns. | The right-wing leader has been accused of multiple illegal dealings, mostly linked to the financing of his 2007 and 2012 election campaigns. |
| According to prosecutors, he has been charged with corruption, “influence peddling” and concealing breaches of confidentiality. | According to prosecutors, he has been charged with corruption, “influence peddling” and concealing breaches of confidentiality. |
| He had turned himself in at the police headquarters in Nanterre, outside Paris, on Tuesday morning and was placed under arrest. | He had turned himself in at the police headquarters in Nanterre, outside Paris, on Tuesday morning and was placed under arrest. |
| Mr Sarkozy and his lawyer are suspected of illegally cultivating a network of informants within France’s top court, the Cour de Cassation, and the police. Supporters of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy claim left-wing ‘persecution’ is behind the charges | |
| He is accused of promising one of the magistrates, Gilbert Azibert, a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information that could help his defence in a case in which he was accused of soliciting money from L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. | He is accused of promising one of the magistrates, Gilbert Azibert, a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information that could help his defence in a case in which he was accused of soliciting money from L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. |
| The preliminary criminal charges against Mr Sarkozy in that case were dropped by a Bordeaux court last October. | The preliminary criminal charges against Mr Sarkozy in that case were dropped by a Bordeaux court last October. |
| The latest charges came to light when police tapped his phone while investigating allegations he sought €50 million from toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, for his 2007 election campaign. | The latest charges came to light when police tapped his phone while investigating allegations he sought €50 million from toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, for his 2007 election campaign. |
| Mr Sarkozy, his lawyer and the magistrates deny all charges but the former President could face 10 years in prison if convicted. | Mr Sarkozy, his lawyer and the magistrates deny all charges but the former President could face 10 years in prison if convicted. |