Credits: Remi Jouan / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0.
In 2020, Ziad Takieddine had withdrawn his testimony accusing Nicolas Sarkozy of having financed his 2007 presidential campaign with Libyan funds. The courts are investigating this about-face, which Takieddine says was done in exchange for money.
After Nicolas Sarkozy in October, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was charged on July 9, 2024, in this investigation. The former middleman, Takieddine, had accused Sarkozy of illegal campaign financing before retracting in 2020, later saying he had been paid for this reversal.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who said on social media that she is still currently fighting cancer, was questioned twice by investigators. The first time as a witness in June 2023, the second as a suspect in early May. She is suspected of having used a secret phone line to coordinate with Michèle Marchand, nicknamed "Mimi," the organization of the interview in which Takieddine retracted his statement. Marchand, the head of Bestimage, was involved in staging this retraction.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is now charged with "receiving the proceeds of witness tampering" and "criminal conspiracy to commit the offense of fraud on the court." However, she has witness-assistant status regarding suspicions of criminal conspiracy for corruption in Lebanon, another aspect of the investigation.
This charge comes as Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is still not in remission from cancer, raising questions about her ability to withstand this additional legal pressure.
Nicolas Sarkozy, charged with the same allegations in October, denied any involvement. His lawyers filed a request to dismiss the case and move the investigation, arguing that Takieddine’s statements cannot be considered credible only when they accuse Sarkozy.
A dozen other people are also charged, including Mimi Marchand for witness tampering, and several businesspeople for their alleged role in the withdrawal of Takieddine’s accusations. The main trial over suspicions of Libyan financing of the 2007 campaign is scheduled for 2025.