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01st Mar 2021

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to jail for corruption

Stephen Porzio

Sarkozy will serve the term at home.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to three years in jail – two of them suspended – for corruption.

Sarkozy was found guilty by a Paris court of trying to bribe a magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, by offering a prestigious job in Monaco in exchange for information about a criminal probe into his political party.

Azibert, as well as Sarkozy’s ex-lawyer Thierry Herzog, received the same sentence.

In the ruling, the judge said Sarkozy could be placed under house arrest with an electronic tag, so he will be allowed to serve from home.

It is unlikely Sarkozy will physically go to prison.

The ex-president is expected to appeal the ruling and has 10 days to do so.

Though retired from politics, the 66-year-old is said to still be a favourite with conservatives.

Sarkozy is also set to go on trial in a separate case, along with 13 other people, on charges of illegal financing during his failed 2012 presidential campaign.

He is the second former president in modern France to be convicted of corruption.

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