July 2, 2014
PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, his lawyer and a magistrate are facing preliminary charges in a corruption investigation linked to allegations that he took 50 million euros ($67 million) in illegal campaign funds from Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, after a night of questioning by judicial officials.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the judicial investigation is being carried out independently of the Socialist government, which defeated Sarkozy in elections in 2012.
“This situation is serious, the facts are serious,” Valls told BFM television Wednesday. “The indictment concerns magistrates — high level magistrates — a lawyer, a former president of France. But as head of the government, I’m asking that we recall the independence of the justice system, which must carry out its work serenely. No one is above the law, is the second principle. And thirdly, and it is important to remind it, there is the presumption of innocence which applies to everybody.”
Read full: http://news.yahoo.com/sarkozy-faces-charges-french-corruption-probe-072134221.html