Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal against a prison sentence on corruption related allegations.
In a fresh ruling today, the Paris appeals court ruled that Sarkozy would be granted an easier sentence, that allows him serve his time at home wearing a tag instead of going to jail.
Sarkozy, the first French president to get a custodial sentence, is embroiled in several corruption cases including alleged sponsorship from Libyan government in his 2007 presidential bid and an attempt to influence a judge in two separate cases.
Following today’s ruling, Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont argued that her client was innocent, stating that she would launch a new challenge with the court of cassation, one of France’s highest jurisdictions.
Nicolas Sarkozy served one five-year term as president, until 2014, adopting tough anti-immigration policies and sought to reform France’s economy during a presidency overshadowed by the global financial crisis.
