Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in police custody as detectives probe alleged campaign funding from Muammar Gaddafi

The 63-year-old was being questioned over suspected irregularities in the financing of his successful campaign

Nicolas Sarkozy speaks at a political rally in September 2016 (Image: Reuters)

By Chris Kitching-20 MAR 2018

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in police custody as police investigate allegations of illegal Libyan funding for his 2007 election campaign.

The 63-year-old was being questioned over suspected irregularities in the financing of his successful bid for the presidency, an official in the French judiciary told Reuters.

The probe related to alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 campaign, Le Monde newspaper reported.

It was claimed Libya's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed during an uprising in 2011, had given 50 million euros to Mr Sarkozy's first presidential campaign.

The former president has previously denied the allegations, dismissing them as "grotesque".

Then-president Mr Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in January 2012 (Image: Getty)

He had claimed the allegations surfaced as an act of revenge by the Gaddafi family following the collapse of its regime in the North African country.

Brice Hortefeux, a former minister and close ally of Mr Sarkozy, was also being questioned by police on Tuesday morning, a source told Reuters.

In January, French businessman Alexandre Djouhri, who was close to the former president, was released on bail after being arrested on a warrant at London's Heathrow Airport as part of the probe.

The 59-year-old was accused of being an intermediary in the alleged financing from Libya, and is wanted for questioning in France.

Muammar Gaddafi claimed he gave millions to Mr Sarkozy's campaign (Image: Daily Mirror)

France opened a judicial inquiry into the matter in 2013.

Mr Sarkozy's time in and after office has been marred by political and financial scandal, with accusations of illegal campaign funding and corruption.


He has already been ordered to stand trial in a separate matter related to the financing of his failed re-election campaign in 2012.

Paris-born Mr Sarkozy was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement political party when he was elected to the Elysee Palace in May 2007.

He served as president until May 2012 when he was defeated by Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande.

Mr Sarkozy briefly retired from politics before returning in September 2014 and becoming leader of the Union for a Popular Movement again.

His bid for another term as president failed when he was eliminated in the first round of voting in the Republican primary in 2016.