FORMER President Nicolas Sarkozy will not be involved in a trial over secret party funds involving France’s richest woman.
He has been left off a list of witnesses who will be called to take part in the trial over the ‘abuse of mental fragility’ of the L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
The former treasurer of the UMP party Eric Woerth, who was also France’s finance minister when the scandal broke, will be the focus of the trial.
Allegations have been made by Mrs Bettencourt’s accountant that thousands of euros in cash were passed to the UMP party to fund Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign.
The revelation makes it more likely that Sarkozy will run for the French presidency in 2017. While no official announcement has been made, Sarkozy has been quoted by friends and colleagues as wanting to run.
Sarkozy lost the presidency to François Hollande in 2012 by 48.36% to 51.64%, but has since climbed in popularity among the French, while Hollande has become France’s most unpopular post-war president.
He is still not free from legal problems however. There are potential cases over campaign funding from Libya, the compensation payout to businessman Bernard Tapie and bribes from Pakistan, all of which are denied, but which still threaten to entangle him.
Related articles:
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New inquiry over Woerth tax role
Website kicks up L'Oréal stink
Family to care for L’Oréal heiress
Heiress loses €17bn battle
Sarkozy appears in court over scandal
Judge makes Sarkozy witness
Photo: Aleph/Wikimedia Commons
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