Tag Archives: Ziad Takieddine

French ex-President Sarkozy faces probe over alleged Qaddafi funding

French authorities are probing allegations that former President Nicolas Sarkozy utilized illicit campaign contributions from the late Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, the public prosecutor’s office said on Friday.

Reuters reports the inquiry into Sarkozy’s funding for his 2007 election bid stems from allegations lodged by a Franco-Lebanese businessman, Ziad Takieddine, who is, himself, being investigated for selling arms to Pakistan during the 1990s.

Already plagued by accusations that he conned an elderly French heiress into donating to his campaign, Sarkozy has denied the allegations and said that his efforts to unseat Qaddafi prove that he is innocent of the charges.

Qaddafi , who was killed during a popular uprising in Libya in 2011, met Sarkozy in Paris in 2007, Reuters reports.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/2HLEVeMAOZQ/

Probe opens of alleged Libyan funding for Sarkozy

Paris prosecutors have begun investigating whether former President Nicolas Sarkozy‘s winning presidential campaign in 2007 may have received illegal funding from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi‘s regime.

Prosecutors’ office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre said the probe which opened Friday centers on claims of corruption, influence trafficking, forgery, abuse of public funds and money laundering.

No one has been named as a suspect. The probe is based on allegations by Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine during questioning by officials in December.

The allegations of Libyan financing emerged in French media last year in the waning days of Sarkozy’s losing re-election bid.

Separately last month, a Bordeaux judge filed preliminary charges against Sarkozy over allegations he illegally took donations from France‘s richest woman in the 2007 election cycle.

Sarkozy has denied any wrongdoing.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/sh-pinnyo0A/