Suspicions of Libyan financing: Brice Hortefeux indicted (Archives) -

AFP

Former minister Brice Hortefeux was indicted on Tuesday for "illegal financing of the electoral campaign" and "criminal association" by the judges responsible for the investigation into possible Libyan financing of Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign in 2007, a indicated his lawyer, Me Jean-Yves Dupeux.

In a statement sent, the MEP, who until then had the status of assisted witness in this case, expressed “his total surprise” and stressed that “an indictment does not bode well for guilt”.

After Nicolas Sarkozy and Claude Guéant

“Today, everything shows that there was no Libyan funding for the 2007 presidential campaign,” he said.

This decision of the investigating judges was expected since the indictment for "criminal association" in January of a former collaborator of the former president, Thierry Gaubert, in October of Nicolas Sarkozy himself, and in early December of his former right-hand man Claude Guéant.

This qualification, heavy with meaning in its title, is easier to pursue until a possible trial for judges, since it requires of them only the demonstration of "preparatory acts" for the "corruption pact" that 'they have been trying to demonstrate since 2013.

No "complicity in corruption"

Nicolas Sarkozy, already prosecuted in particular for "corruption", was thus indicted on this count for "having left" in conscience his lieutenants Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux to get involved in the corruptive pact suspected with the regime of Muammar Gaddafi from from 2005.

Brice Hortefeux, however, was not indicted for "complicity in corruption", according to his lawyer.

The former minister was accused by Muammar Gaddafi's brother-in-law, Abdallah Senoussi, as well as by businessman Ziad Takieddine, with whom he has long been a close friend, of having traveled to Libya at least two times.

According to these two men, he would have organized the terms of the support granted by the Libyan regime to Nicolas Sarkozy for his election to the presidency, in particular by providing a RIB, which he disputes.

The former minister claims to have visited Libya once in December 2005, as part of his duties, and admits to having met Abdallah Senoussi, but according to him at the initiative of Ziad Takieddine and without there being any question of 'any funding.

"In view of the total lack of credibility of both Takieddine and Senoussi, the accusations against Brice Hortefeux appear to me to be without any foundation," Me Dupeux told AFP.

"In addition, Brice Hortefeux provided irrefutable material elements which demonstrate that he was not in Libya on the day when Takieddine and Senoussi consider that he would have provided bank details", he added.

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  • Brice Hortefeux

  • Indictment

  • Justice

  • Funding