The Paris Criminal Court handed down its sentences on Thursday, September 25, in the Sarkozy-Gaddafi trial. In total, eight individuals were convicted.
The former French president was convicted of criminal conspiracy and sentenced to five years in prison. He will have to start serving the sentence even if he appeals. In the ruling, the court cited "extremely serious offenses liable to undermine public trust in those who represent them." The court also ordered Sarkozy to pay a €100,000 fine as well as five years of ineligibility for public office.
The former Elysée chief of staff was sentenced to six years in prison and a €250,000 fine for forgery, aggravated money laundering, influence peddling, corruption, and criminal conspiracy. "The court has taken into account your state of health, which it considers incompatible with incarceration," the presiding judge said, explaining the softer sentence despite the numerous counts against Guéant.
The former interior minister was sentenced to two years in prison and a €50,000 fine for criminal conspiracy. His sentence could be served at home with an ankle monitor. The court also imposed a five-year ban on him holding any public office.
Alexandre Djouhri, an intermediary in the affair, was sentenced to six years in prison, fined €3 million, and banned from management positions for 15 years for aggravated money laundering, active influence peddling, corruption, and criminal conspiracy. "You live abroad; you have pursued a strategy of evasion," said the presiding judge.
The Swiss banker was sentenced to four years in prison, fined €2 million, and banned from holding management positions for five years for aggravated money laundering and complicity in influence peddling.
The court "considers that [his] role was central in the financial structuring of the funds at issue," the presiding judge told Nacer, who was present in court. She noted his "evasive strategy" during the proceedings. In line with the prosecutor's requests, the court also ordered the confiscation of his three life insurance policies (€428,000) and his car (€13,200).
Khalid Bugshan was sentenced to three years in prison for aggravated money laundering and criminal conspiracy. He was also fined €4 million and banned from holding management positions for 10 years. The court also issued an arrest warrant against him, noting that he "adopted an evasive attitude during the investigation."
The former chief of staff to Muammar Gaddafi was sentenced to five years in prison, fined €4 million, and banned from holding management positions for 15 years for passive corruption and aggravated money laundering.
Sivajothi Rajendram, who is presumed dead, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a €100,000 fine. Additionally, a warrant was issued for his arrest, even though, according to the French Ministry of Justice, Rajendram is believed to have died three years ago.
Regarding Thierry Gaubert, for whom the prosecution had requested a three-year prison sentence, a €150,000 fine, and a five-year disqualification, the court declared the prosecution to be discontinued.
The court also terminated proceedings against Ziad Takieddine, a 75-year-old French-Lebanese intermediary who died on Tuesday in Lebanon, where he had taken refuge in 2020. However, his name came up frequently during the reading of the judgment. Despite being one of Sarkozy's most virulent accusers, the court considered Takieddine to be one of the actors in the former president's criminal conspiracy.
Three people were also completely acquitted in the case: Eric Woerth, a former minister under Sarkozy and treasurer of his 2007 presidential campaign; Edouard Ullmo, a former Airbus executive vice president; and Ahmed Bugshan, cousin of Khalid Bugshan.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.