Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail

Sarkozy was convicted for having tried to illegally obtain information from a senior magistrate in 2014 about a legal action in which he was involved

He withdrew from active politics after failing to be chosen as his conservative party’s presidential candidate for France’s 2017 election

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Nicolas Sarkozy withdrew from active politics after failing to be chosen as his conservative party’s presidential candidate for France’s 2017 election. Photo: EPA

Published: 9:33pm, 1 Mar 2021Updated: 10:14pm, 1 Mar 2021

A Paris court on Monday found French former president Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling and sentenced him to one year in prison and a two-year suspended sentence.

The 66-year-old politician, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted for having tried to illegally obtain information from a senior magistrate in 2014 about a legal action in which he was involved.

The court said Sarkozy will be entitled to request to be detained at home with an electronic bracelet.

Sarkozy will face another trial later this month along with 13 other people on charges of illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, firmly denied all the allegations against him during the 10-day trial that took place at the end of last year.

This is the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has gone on trial for corruption. Sarkozy’s predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty in 2011 of misuse of public money and given a two-year suspended prison sentence for actions during his time as Paris mayor.