Nicolas Sarkozy's corruption trial delayed after co-defendant falls ill

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will have to wait a few more days before telling his side of the story after a co-defendant in his corruption trial requested a delay on medical grounds.
 
Presiding Judge Christine Mee ordered the man complete a health check by Thursday, pushing back the much-awaited trial. Sarkozy is accused of offering to pull strings after he left office to get the co-defendant -- a now-retired senior court official -- a prestigious job in Monaco in return for his help in a separate legal dispute.
 
The trial, which was to start Monday, has also embroiled Sarkozy’s then-lawyer, who acted as a go-between, and includes evidence prosecutors obtained by wiretapping Sarkozy’s calls in 2014 on so-called burner phones, according to the indictment. All three defendants risk a maximum jail sentence of 10 years as well as a fine.

 

Sarkozy is only the second former French president to go on trial in modern times, and the first over corruption accusations. After leaving office in 2007, the late Jacques Chirac was found guilty of misusing Paris city funds when he was mayor of the city to benefit his supporters and political party.
 
Ever since losing his bid for re-election after serving as president for five years starting in 2007, Sarkozy has been mired in legal woes. He is due back in court next year on charges that he illegally exceeded campaign-spending limits on his failed 2012 re-election bid and an investigation into alleged covert Libyan funding is ongoing.