A ceremonial investigation targeting erstwhile French president Nicolas Sarkozy implicit financing of his palmy 2007 predetermination run was dropped connected Monday, judicial sources told the AFP quality agency.
Sarkozy had been under probe since March for allegedly accepting funds from France's richest woman, L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, erstwhile doctors said she was excessively frail to cognize what she was doing.
The determination to driblet the charges could wide the mode for Sarkozy to instrumentality to frontline authorities successful clip for the 2017 statesmanlike election. He remains much fashionable with right-wing voters than immoderate different fig successful his UMP enactment and is wide expected to question a governmental comeback.
Sarkozy, 58, has ever maintained that helium visited Bettencourt's residence lone erstwhile during his 2007 campaign, contrary to grounds from respective members of the multi-millionaire's staff.
A erstwhile accountant for the heiress, Claire Thibout, told constabulary successful 2010 that she had fixed envelopes stuffed with currency to Bettencourt's right-hand man, Patrice de Maistre, connected the knowing it was to beryllium passed connected to Sarkozy's run treasurer, Eric Woerth.
Investigators fishy that up to €4 cardinal of Bettencourt's currency subsequently made its mode into UMP enactment coffers.
Sarkozy mislaid his immunity from prosecution erstwhile helium was defeated successful the 2012 statesmanlike predetermination by Socialist François Hollande. French judges person already demonstrated a readiness to spell aft erstwhile leaders with their palmy pursuit of Sarkozy's statesmanlike predecessor, Jacques Chirac, who was convicted successful 2011 connected corruption charges relating to his clip arsenic politician of Paris.
Sarkozy was facing up to 3 years successful prison, a good of €375,000 and a five-year exclusion from authorities if helium was recovered guilty.
(FRANCE 24 with wires)
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