The former French President Nicolas Sarkozy center arrives in Paris to attend the appeal hearing on a corruption trial at the courthouse on December 5, 2022. ALAIN JOCARD AFP PARIS - Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy tried to convince a Paris court to overturn his March 2021 conviction for bribery and influence-peddling in an appeal hearing on Monday.
Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison, two of them suspended, a stunning fall from grace for a man who served as president from 2007 to 2012, but is now facing a string of judicial investigations and trials.
The ruling found that Sarkozy, 67, had tried to bribe a judge after leaving office, and to peddle influence in exchange for confidential information about an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances.
I'm here to defend my honour, which has been violated. I'm here to convince the court that I did nothing, Sarkozy, a tremor in his voice, told the appeals court on Monday.
There are strong words: corruption, influence peddling. Sarkozy, who has denied wrongdoing, said I am a former president of the republic, I have never corrupted anyone.
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Am I a serious offender because I'm calling. What is my lawyer and friend? He referred to phone tappings of conversations with his lawyer, who was also found guilty, that were critical in the original trial.
The 2021 ruling said that the actions Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy is guilty of are particularly serious and have been committed by a former President of the Republic who was responsible for preserving justice's independence. Judge Christine Mee said at the time that he took advantage of his status and the relationships he had formed.
The appeals court suspended the execution of Sarkozy's sentence in the original trial. He would probably not go to jail anyway as the judge signaled she was open to ordering him to wear an electronic tag.
The appeal trial, which is scheduled to last until December 16, will review both the verdict and sentence.
The only other president of France's 64 year-old Fifth Republic to be convicted by a court was Sarkozy's conservative predecessor, the late Jacques Chirac, who was found guilty of corruption in 2011.