France: suspension of the corruption trial of former President Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy upon his arrival at the courthouse, November 23, 2020. REUTERS - CHARLES PLATIAU

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The trial of Nicolas Sarkozy, judged from this Monday for corruption, which is unprecedented for a former French president, was suspended shortly after its opening and until Thursday, the time for a medical examination for one of the co-accused, a magistrate.  

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The criminal court ordered "an expertise" of the state of health of the former judge Gilbert Azibert, 73, absent from the hearing for medical reasons.

In a black suit and white shirt, Nicolas Sarkozy arrived around 1:20 pm surrounded by a cloud of cameras.

In the courtroom, he greeted lawyers and financial prosecutors.

While the president of the criminal court, Christine Mée, announced his full identity, Nicolas Sarkozy of Nagy Bocsa, he replied: " 

 ".

The magistrate specified that the procedure provided for it for the criminal record.

He retorted, shrugging his shoulders, "

 ", before sitting down next to his lawyer friend and co-defendant Thierry Herzog.

The "eavesdropping" affair

 has its origin in another file which threatens Nicolas Sarkozy: the suspicions of Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. In this context, the judges had decided in September 2013 to place the former president on a wiretap , and discovered, in early 2014, that he was using a secret line, under the pseudonym “Paul Bismuth”, to communicate with his lawyer Thierry Herzog.

According to the prosecution, some conversations have revealed the existence of a corruption pact: Nicolas Sarkozy, through Mr. Herzog, considered bringing a " 

 " to Mr. Azibert to help him obtain a position in the Principality of Monaco which he coveted, but which he never obtained.

 In return, according to the prosecution, this senior magistrate provided information, covered by secrecy, on a procedure initiated in Cassation by Mr. Sarkozy on the sidelines of another file (Bettencourt case), and tried to influence his colleagues.

"I am not a rotten"

 After having benefited from a dismissal in the Bettencourt affair at the end of 2013, Nicolas Sarkozy had indeed seized the Court of Cassation to cancel the seizure of his presidential agendas, which may be of interest to justice in other proceedings.

In discussions with his lawyer, the basis of the prosecution, the former president undertook to intervene in favor of Judge Azibert.

"

", "

", he said thus to Me Herzog.

Shortly afterwards, he declared that he had given up making "the approach" to the Monegasque authorities.

For investigators, the turnaround could come from the discovery by the two men that their unofficial phones were tapped.

"

 ", swept this Monday morning on France Info Paul-Albert Iweins, lawyer of Mr. Herzog, evoking only "

".

In an indictment in October 2017, the National Financial Prosecutor's Office for its part compared the methods of Mr. Sarkozy to those of "

".

The three defendants contest any “corruption pact”.

"Mr. Azibert did not get anything, I did not take any action and I was dismissed by the Court of Cassation" concerning the agendas, argued the former president in 2014. " 

 ”he recently reaffirmed on the French channel BFMTV.

" 

", he added.

Nicolas Sarkozy has never ceased to denounce a political instrumentalisation of justice, unsuccessfully multiplying appeals.

The validation of the eavesdropping in March 2016 by the highest judicial court had constituted a major defeat for the former president, who considered that the transcription of exchanges between a lawyer and his client was illegal.

This question will again be hotly debated during the trial.

(With Afp)

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• Nicolas sarkozy

• Justice