Nicolas Sarkozy denies wrongdoing in campaign funding trial

Nicolas Sarkozy, a former French president, has denied wrongdoing during his first appearance at a trial into the financing of a unsuccessful bid for re-election.

The 66-year-old is facing allegations he spent almost twice the maximum legal amount of €22.5m (£19.37m) on the presidential race nearly a decade ago.

The Paris court is seeking to determine whether he was aware of the system of false invoices that was meant to cover up the overspending.

Appearing at the trial for the first time on Tuesday, Mr Sarkozy showed anger at accusations over alleged illegal financing of his 2012 re-election campaign, which he lost to Francois Hollande.

“You have in front of you someone whose life has been dedicated to politics for 40 years,” he told the court, describing how he took part in over 40 rallies, in addition to newspaper interviews and television shows between mid-February and May 2012.

The 66-year-old said he had the political leadership of the campaign but was not involved in organisation and logistical details.

He stressed that as the incumbent president, he had other priorities.

He said he “never” gave any direct instruction to service providers in charge of the organisation of his rallies, because he had a team to do that.

Mr Sarkozy also strongly denied that his 2012 re-election bid had been organised on a much broader scale than his successful 2007 campaign — whose financing has not been put into question.

“I’d like someone to explain to me how my campaign was bigger in 2012 than in 2007? That’s not true. And if someone knows it, that’s me!” he said.

The comments came in response to an investigative magistrate’s conclusions that Mr Sarkozy and his team decided to hold “spectacular and expensive rallies” in 2012.

The campaign’s total cost allegedly reached at least €42.8m (£36.84m).

The investigation did not establish whether Mr Sarkozy allegedly took an active part in the process or ordered fraudulent actions himself.

In addition to the former president, 12 other people and the company in charge of organising the campaign rallies face charges that include forgery, breach of trust, fraud and complicity in illegal campaign financing.

Following several scandals, French law since 1990 has strictly limited political campaign spending.

The proceedings got underway less than three months after Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of influence peddling in a corruption case.

The former president has appealed this verdict, which he called “profoundly and shockingly unjust”.

The current trial is scheduled to last until 22 June and a verdict is expected to be delivered at a later date.

Additional reporting by Associated Press