Sarkozy‘s Appeal Rejected in Bygmalion Affair

“Nicolas Sarkozy takes note of the rejection of his appeal,” declared his lawyers Patrice Spinosi and Emmanuel Piwnica. The former President of the republic was convicted on Wednesday, November 26, in the Bygmalion affair, according to the decision of the Court of Cassation. This is a second definitive criminal conviction for Sarkozy, following the Bismuth case (the wiretapping affair).

with the former head of state recently incarcerated in the Parisian health prison as part of the Libyan trial, this cassation procedure represented his final recourse under French law in this emblematic case.

In the Bygmalion case, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on February 14, 2024, by the Paris Court of Appeal to one year’s imprisonment, including six months, for the illegal financing of his lost 2012 presidential campaign. His sentence on appeal, which the court ordered to be adjusted for the fixed part (electronic bracelet, semi-liberty, etc.), was slightly less than the one-year imprisonment handed down at first instance in 2021.

The Court of Cassation having rejected the grounds raised by his appeal, “the candidate, the director of his campaign and the two directors of the political party, which supported the candidate, are therefore definitively condemned,” indicates the highest judicial body in france in a press release, emphasizing that it judges respect for the law and not the merits of the cases.

Double Billing System

Nicolas Sarkozy will therefore be summoned in the coming weeks by the sentence enforcement judge to carry out his sentence.

The investigations in this case revealed that, to conceal the explosion of campaign expenses – almost 43 million euros, exceeding the authorized maximum of 22.5 million – a system of double invoicing was implemented. This system charged the UMP (now LR) a large portion of the meeting costs under the guise of fictitious conventions.

Unlike his co-defendants, the former head of state was not accused of orchestrating this system of false invoices but of benefiting, as a candidate, from illegal political financing.

At both first instance and on appeal, Nicolas Sarkozy “vigorously contested any criminal liability,” denouncing “fables” and “lies.” His sentence on appeal, which the court ordered to be adjusted for the firm part (electronic bracelet, semi-freedom, etc.), was slightly lower than the one year of firm imprisonment handed down at first instance in 2021.

Three of the ten convicted on appeal