Sentenced to five years in prison, Nicolas Sarkozy told journalists today that what happened in court “is of exceptional weight for the rule of law“ and “for the trust that can be had in justice“, reported the newspaper “Monde“, quoted by BTA.
The former French president stressed that he was acquitted on three of the four charges. “I will take my responsibility. I will appear at every summons. And if at any cost they want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high. I am innocent," Sarkozy said.
"This injustice is a scandal. I will not apologize for something I did not do," he added, announcing that he would appeal. "I will probably have to appear in handcuffs before the appeals court. Those who hate me so much think they will humiliate me. What they humiliated today is France, it is the image of France. And if anyone has betrayed the French, it is not me, but this incredible injustice that you have just witnessed [...] I will fight until my last breath to prove my complete innocence“, he concluded.
A court in Paris found him guilty of criminal conspiracy charges in a case over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign with money from then-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy was, however, acquitted of all other charges, including accepting a bribe, illegal financing of an election campaign and concealment and misappropriation of state funds.