EBN- The trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy begins in Paris today, Monday, on charges related to obtaining illegal funding for his election campaign from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy who served as president from 2007 to 2012, is accused of accepting millions of dollars in illegal campaign funding from the former Libyan regime.
Sarkozy has always denied the accusations against him.
The former president is on trial along with 12 other defendants on charges of illegal campaign financing, misappropriation of public funds, and bribery.
Among the defendants involved in the case are former interior ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Orte-Foy, as well as former labour minister Eric Woerth.
If convicted, Sarkozy could face up to 10 years in prison and a large fine. Several of the defendants involved in the case could also face sentences of up to 10 years in prison.
The trial is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. (12:30 GMT) and is expected to last until April 10.
France has requested legal assistance from 21 countries as part of its extensive investigation into the Libya case.
