PARIS: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to learn Monday when and where he will serve time in prison for criminal conspiracy for a scheme to use funds from Libya to finance his winning 2007 campaign.
The first ex-president in modern French history to be imprisoned, Sarkozy maintains his innocence and has protested the decision to put him behind bars pending his appeal.
Sarkozy, 70, is to appear Monday at the National Financial Prosecutor’s office, which will set a date and location for his incarceration.
While long retired from active politics, Sarkozy remains an influential figure in conservative circles. He served as president from 2007 to 2012 and was previously convicted in another corruption case but hasn’t had to serve time.
For safety reasons, Sarkozy is expected to be incarcerated under conditions reserved for high-profile inmates, possibly in a special “VIP area” of La Santé prison, which is the only prison in Paris where some of France’s most notorious criminals have been imprisoned.
