LYONS: A leading witness retracted Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) allegations that former French president Nicolas Sarkozy took millions in cash from Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi for his 2007 election campaign. French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine had claimed he delivered suitcases carrying a total of five million euros from Tripoli to Sarkozy’s chief of staff in 2006 and 2007. “There was no financing of Sarkozy’s presidential campaign,” he added. Sarkozy announced he would instruct his lawyers to seek to halt the case against him and sue Takieddine for defamation. French prosecutors last month said they had charged Sarkozy for “membership in a criminal conspiracy” after more than 40 hours of questioning over four days, prosecutors told Agence France-Presse.

Source: Manila Times November 11, 2020 21:00 UTC