Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vigorously denounced a “plot” he said was staged by “liars and crooks” on Thursday at a Paris trial over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the Libyan government led by former leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, on trial charged with accepting illegal campaign financing, told a court Thursday he had never accepted any money from the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The case also involves Gaddafi’s former chief of staff and treasurer, Bashir Saleh, who sought refuge in France during the Libyan civil war and then moved to South Africa, where he survived a shooting in 2018, before settling in the United Arab Emirates.

Sarkozy, who has already been convicted twice, in separate cases, since leaving office, goes on trial Monday. He is accused of accepting illegal campaign financing, in an alleged pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy faces charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds and criminal association, punished by up to 10 years in prison

The trial of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy on charges related to alleged Libyan funding of his successful 2007 presidential campaign began in Paris on Monday. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012,

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial on Monday, on charges of having received millions of euros in illegal financing from Libya's late strongman Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives for a hearing in his trial with twelve other defendants on charges of corruption and illegal financing of an election campaign related to alleged Libyan funding of his successful 2007 presidential bid,