Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced again to prison for illegal financing practices during his 2012 election campaign. The 66-year-old politician has been sentenced to one year in prison by a Paris court but can serve it at home.
The case revolved around the so-called Bygmalion affair, in which Sarkozy and his team spent more than €20 million more than allowed by law in his failed 2012 presidential campaign. As a result, the politician was elected president in 2007.
During the re-election campaign, bank accounts were tampered with, leaving some amounts outside the administration. A consultancy company affiliated with the company Bygmalion would have been attracted and, for example, have held expensive election meetings from the books.
Earlier this year, Sarkozy became the first French ex-president in modern history to be sentenced to prison in a corruption case. The judges found him guilty of attempted bribery of a judge and abuse of power during his presidency. He was sentenced to three years in prison, two of which were suspended, but has appealed the verdict.