France's Sarkozy investigated for suspected witness tampering in Libya funds case

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives for his appeal trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, at Paris courthouse, France, December 5, 2022. Sarkozy, due to go on trial in 2025 over the accusations he illegally accepted the Libyan funds, has always denied wrongdoing. In the latest investigation, Sarkozy is accused of interfering with a witness and criminal association with a view to committing fraud, a spokesperson for prosecutors said. Sarkozy had been questioned by a judge since Tuesday in a probe launched in May 2021, after French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine gave media interviews retracting an earlier account that he had delivered Libyan funds to help Sarkozy. Sarkozy, who remains an important figure in French politics although he no longer holds any elected post, has always denied the accusations.