French prosecutors have sought a seven-year prison sentence for Nicolas Sarkozy due to allegations of illegal campaign financing connected to a supposed agreement with Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, denied the charges and expressed outrage over the prosecution's request. He is currently serving a one-year sentence from a separate conviction for influence-peddling. Prosecutors painted a troubling picture of his quest for funding and asked for penalties, including a ban on holding office and a significant fine, as part of a wider trial involving multiple defendants.
"You will never ever find a single euro, a single Libyan cent, in my campaign," Sarkozy stated during the trial, defending against allegations of accepting illicit funds.
Prosecutor Sebastien de la Touanne painted a grim picture, accusing Sarkozy of a 'frantic quest for funding' to serve his 'consuming political ambition'.
Sarkozy described the prosecution's request as 'an outrage', maintaining that the allegations against him were 'false' and 'violent'.
In the courtroom, Sarkozy remained stoic as prosecutors outlined their recommendations, which included a seven-year sentence and a €300,000 fine.
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