At the Paris appeal court hearing on April 14, 2026, Nicolas Sarkozy criticized his former chief of staff Claude Guéant, absent due to serious illness. Guéant's lawyer submitted a signed attestation from him, dated April 11, challenging the former president's stance. The document aims to counter Sarkozy's accusations.
Nicolas Sarkozy elaborated at the start of Tuesday's hearing before the Paris appeal court on his view of Claude Guéant, his former chief of staff. The former president portrayed him as an impeccable civil servant with a deeply venal side, expressing astonishment.
"When I really got to know Claude Guéant, he had a reputation as a Jansenist, worked all the time, did not participate in any social events. [...] Was he the victim of swindlers? This does not resemble the man I trusted…", Sarkozy stated.
Claude Guéant, 81 years old and seriously ill, is excused from appearing. His lawyer, Me Philippe Bouchez-El Ghozi, submitted an explosive handwritten attestation from his client dated April 11. The document conveys Guéant's rejection of Sarkozy's "new positioning" in the Libyan financing case.
This counter-attack comes amid the appeal trial in the so-called "Libyan financing" affair, where Sarkozy and other defendants challenge their convictions.