Gadaffi’s money scandal lands ex-French president in police custody

An investigation into whether late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi helped finance the 2007 election campaign of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has landed the ex-leader in police custody.

Sarkozy who is being questioned by magistrates investigating the case has however, dismissed the Libya allegations as “grotesque” and a “crude manipulation” even as his lawyer could not be reached immediately for comments according to foreign media.

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Reports say France launched an inquiry into the Libya case in 2013, after reports by French website Mediapart based on claims by a Franco-Lebanese businessman, Ziad Takieddine, who said he had transferred Five million euros ($6 million) from Gaddafi’s former intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi to Sarkozy’s campaign director.

French judicial procedure allows for investigators to hold a person for questioning for up to 48 hours, after which the magistrates must say whether they have grounds for turning a preliminary inquiry into a full investigation.

Zarkozy has already faced trial on separate charges of illicit spending overruns during his failed re-election campaign in 2012 and this is the second major judicial investigation to befall the 63-year-old.

 

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