France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy is fronting his biggest legal case yet, over allegations he received millions from Libya for his successful 2007 presidential campaign.
Sarkozy, 69, goes on trial on Monday local time but it will not be his first time in court.
The former leader, often labelled the "bling bling president" by critics, has been part of several high-profile cases — ranging from wire-tapping to alleged Gaddafi ties.
He has denied all wrongdoing.
Here's a look back at his legal woes:
Alleged financing by a Libyan dictator
Sarkozy, along with 11 others, is accused of illegally receiving millions for his 2007 presidential campaign from the government of then-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
He has been under investigation since 2013 and is charged with passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, embezzlement of Libyan public funds and criminal association.
Investigators will allege Gaddafi's government secretly agreed to give Sarkozy up to 50 million euros ($83 million) for his 2007 campaign.
The sum was more than double the legal campaign funding limit.
Stakes were raised in 2016 when French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine told news site Mediapart that he had delivered suitcases from Libya containing 5 million euros (about $8.3 million) in cash to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff.
Takieddine later withdrew the allegation and Sarkozy sought unsuccessfully to have the inquiry closed.
Carla Bruni accused of witness tampering
In 2023, French investigative judges filed preliminary charges alleging Sarkozy attempted to mislead magistrates in order to clear him of the Libyan case.
Financial prosecutors said Sarkozy was suspected of "benefiting from corruptly influencing a witness", in reference to Takieddine.
In July 2024, Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, was also given preliminary charges for alleged involvement in pressuring Takieddine.
Bruni-Sarkozy was placed under judicial supervision, including a ban on contact with all those involved in the proceedings except for her husband.
A wire-tapping scandal
In December last year, a French court upheld a ruling that found Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling while he was the country's head of state.
Sarkozy was France's president from 2007 to 2012.
He was found guilty in 2021 of trying to bribe a magistrate during his time as leader in exchange for information about a case he was implicated in.
That case was revealed through wire-tapped phone conversations during the Libya financing investigation.
A guilty verdict was later confirmed in 2023 and Sarkozy was sentenced to a year in prison.
Under French law, he was able to be detained at home with an electronic bracelet.
Sarkozy said he would further appeal the case before the European Court of Human Rights.
Millions illegally spent on re-election
In February last year, an appeals court in Paris also upheld a guilty verdict against Sarkozy for illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid.
He was sentenced to a year in prison, of which six months were suspended.
Prosecutors said the former president spent almost twice the maximum legal amount of 22.5 million euros (about $37 million) on the re-election bid that he lost to Socialist Francois Hollande.
The case was labelled the Bygmalion affair, referring to the events company that organised his stadium gigs in front of thousands of fans.
Sarkozy has denied all allegations and appealed to the highest Court of Cassation in that case.
AP
