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Sarkozy's office denies fresh accusations
Source: Agencies |
September 1, 2011, Thursday
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FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy's office has vigorously denied claims in a new book that he personally took undeclared campaign cash from the heiress to the L'Oreal cosmetics fortune five years ago - claims that come just as the race for next year's presidential elections is heating up.
Sarkozy's allies suggested the accusations are a campaign ploy. Similar accusations first surfaced last year.
But questions about how Sarkozy financed his 2007 campaign could stain his bid for re-election in April and May. Critics have long deemed the conservative leader too cozy with the rich, criticism that carries a particular sting now that the French economy is stalling and many of his supporters are disillusioned with his leadership.
The leader of France's main opposition party, Socialist Martine Aubry, called for a new investigation into whether Sarkozy received illegal campaign cash from Liliane Bettencourt, Europe's richest woman.
An accountant for Bettencourt said a year ago that she gave 50,000 euros (US$72,000) in cash to Sarkozy's party treasurer for the campaign - well beyond the 4,600-euro legal limit on individual donations. The accusations surfaced during a series of investigations into the heiress's finances.
A book being released today suggests Sarkozy himself received undeclared campaign money.
The book, "Sarko m'a tuer" (Sarko killed me), quotes investigating judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez as saying a witness she questioned "told me he had seen cash handed over to Sarko," a nickname used for Sarkozy.
The judge said, however, that the comment was made outside formal questioning and was not recorded in judicial documents. She was later taken off the case.
The book quotes her as saying she came under political pressure and that witnesses were afraid of testifying.
Sarkozy's allies suggested the accusations are a campaign ploy. Similar accusations first surfaced last year.
But questions about how Sarkozy financed his 2007 campaign could stain his bid for re-election in April and May. Critics have long deemed the conservative leader too cozy with the rich, criticism that carries a particular sting now that the French economy is stalling and many of his supporters are disillusioned with his leadership.
The leader of France's main opposition party, Socialist Martine Aubry, called for a new investigation into whether Sarkozy received illegal campaign cash from Liliane Bettencourt, Europe's richest woman.
An accountant for Bettencourt said a year ago that she gave 50,000 euros (US$72,000) in cash to Sarkozy's party treasurer for the campaign - well beyond the 4,600-euro legal limit on individual donations. The accusations surfaced during a series of investigations into the heiress's finances.
A book being released today suggests Sarkozy himself received undeclared campaign money.
The book, "Sarko m'a tuer" (Sarko killed me), quotes investigating judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez as saying a witness she questioned "told me he had seen cash handed over to Sarko," a nickname used for Sarkozy.
The judge said, however, that the comment was made outside formal questioning and was not recorded in judicial documents. She was later taken off the case.
The book quotes her as saying she came under political pressure and that witnesses were afraid of testifying.
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