Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared in a Paris courtroom on Monday to stand trial on accusations of corruption and influence-peddling, French media has reported.
In 2014, he was said to have tried to obtain investigative secrets from a senior lawyer at the Court of Cassation through his lawyer Thierry Herzog who is also on trial which if the charges are proven, the two faces up to 10 years in prison.
The trial which is expected to last until Dec. 10, is considered unprecedented in modern French history as it is the first time a president has appeared in court facing such serious accusations.
In 2011, Sarkozy’s predecessor in office, Jacques Chirac was given a two-year suspended sentence for embezzlement and breach of trust during his time as mayor of Paris.
Chirac however, did not appear in court due to health problems.
Gilbert Azibert, former advocate general at the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court, is also charged along with Sarkozy and Herzog with a possible adjournment expected to be discussed at the outset of the trial as the 73-year-old Azibert has applied for, citing health reasons of which The court confirmed that Azibert’s lawyer filed a relevant motion despite the absence of his client in court on Monday.
The complex case the court began hearing on Monday examining accusations that Sarkozy tried to bribe Azibert for secret information about a separate Sarkozy-linked investigation concerning campaign financing.
In return, the ex-president is said to have offered to support the top magistrate in his application for a cushy position in Monaco.
The accusations against Sarkozy are based on wiretapped telephone conversations between the politician and his lawyer Herzog.
Sarkozy has denied any wrongdoing calling the wiretaps illegal.
Sarkozy was the French president from 2007 to 2012. The 65-year-old has turned his back on politics but remains popular among conservatives who view him as a defender of civil liberties, with his memoir entitled “Le Temps des Tempetes” (The Time of Storms) was a bestseller last summer.
Earlier this month, Sarkozy appeared alongside current French President Emmanuel Macron and ex-president Francois Hollande for a World War I commemoration ceremony at Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.
