Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial, on charges of having received millions of euros in illegal financing from the former leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid. Sarkozy, who relaxed and chatted with lawyers and other defendants in the courtroom before the hearing started on Monday, has always denied the accusations. The former leader faces charges of “concealment of embezzlement of public funds, passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and criminal conspiracy to commit a crime,” the financial prosecutor’s office said.
