Sarkozy questioned in campaign financing scandal

PARIS, April 1 (KUNA) -- Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who heads the Conservative opposition coalition here, was questioned for several hours Wednesday by investigating magistrates leading an inquiry into illicit operations in Sarkozy's unsuccessful bid for a second term as president in 2012.
Sarkozy lost that bid to current French leader Francois Hollande.
Already last year the former president was forced to reimburse around USD 20 million in illegal funds he received via his Conservative Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) party to cover expenses he had to reimburse to the French State because he overstepped spending limits in his campaign.
Sarkozy has not been charged yet in the judicial investigation but he was placed under the status of "accompanied witness" on Wednesday, a special status which keep him involved with the case and which means he can be called back for questioning in the company of his lawyer at any time, He could be charged at a further date depending on the investigation.
Former head of the UMP, Jean-Francois Cope has already been formally placed in this investigation, along with other UMP top officials for their role in the financing scandal.
Sarkozy received the summons only three days after his UMP party and allies swept close to 70 percent of France's local councils in elections last Sunday, bolstering his party's position as the leading political movement in France.
The former president, who is eying the presidential race in 2017, has a number of other legal issues and investigations pending and which could damage his credibility if he is found guilty of wrongdoing.
Most of the investigations concern financial matters, particularly an alleged USD 75 million donation by former Libyan leader Moamer Gadaffi for Sarkozy's successful 2007 campaign.
Other cases, among a few, involve corruption involving weapons deals with Pakistan, the illegal bugging of journalists and the allocating of lucrative contracts for polling organs to friends when he was president. Most cases are getting preliminary evaluations by magistrates.
Several of Sarkozy's close allies, including two former Ministers, are under investigation for various acts of corruption linked with campaign financing and they will be put on trial.
Sarkozy, who is consolidating his electoral position in the Conservative movement for the 2017 ballot, denies any inappropriate behaviour. (end) jk.ibi