Photo: ReutersFormer French president Nicolas Sarkozy has briefly appeared in court to face trial on corruption accusations before judges suspended the hearings until November 26 to assess the health of one of his co-defendants. Investigators had from 2013 been wiretapping conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer Thierry Herzog as they delved into allegations of Libyan financing in Sarkozy's 2007 campaign. Herzog and Azibert are both on trial with Sarkozy, charged with corruption and influence-peddling. In March next year, Sarkozy is due in court on accusations of violating campaign financing rules during his failed 2012 re-election bid. Prosecutors are still investigating allegations that Libya's late former leader Muammar Gaddafi provided Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign with millions of euros shipped to Paris in suitcases - allegations that Sarkozy denies.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 23, 2020 20:15 UTC