At the appeal trial over the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, Nicolas Sarkozy claimed that millions received by Ziad Takieddine from Libyan state channels did not go to his campaign. The former head of state presented tables to support his arguments. The hearings are nearing their end before the Paris appeal court.
Nicolas Sarkozy, convicted in first instance for criminal conspiracy, defended his position during an appeal hearing on May 4, 2026. Holding tables, he stated that funds received by Franco-Lebanese intermediary Ziad Takieddine, who died in September 2025, were spent by him or transferred to Abdallah Senoussi. "Not a centime ended up in his 2007 campaign," he declared.
The former president remains troubled by dossier elements raised last year, as well as recent written statements from Claude Guéant, his former chief of staff, who is seriously ill. Guéant, targeted by Sarkozy, provided a scathing attestation to the court. Sarkozy seeks to highlight the prosecution's weaknesses as hearings conclude.
The trial concerns allegations of illegal financing from Libya for the 2007 campaign. Sarkozy distances himself from former collaborators like Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, for the first time mentioning a "fault" on their part in a prior hearing.
