Most active commenters
  • Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe(3)

←back to thread

French ex-president Sarkozy begins jail sentence

(www.bbc.com)
375 points begueradj | 15 comments | 22 Oct 25 05:49 UTC | HN request time: 0.21s | source | bottom
1. tsoukase ◴[22 Oct 25 12:22 UTC] No.45667963[source]▶
A former Prime Minister of a first world country in jail is insane. He must have made a crime without the help of others because in political scandals usually a whole gang of public people is liable. Then you have to convict the monkey with the bananas and the whole tree.

If we follow the French justice, in my country (Greece) about 10% of people including almost all the politicians of the last decades should be in jail.

replies(6): >>45668167 #>>45668454 #>>45669074 #>>45669390 #>>45672210 #>>45672426 #
2. Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe ◴[22 Oct 25 12:40 UTC] No.45668167[source]▶
Well the crime was about using syria's then dictator muhammar kadafi's blood money for his first presidential campaign. So there is a very strong incentive to keep this as private as possible. And in effect he's not the only one to be trialed and judged.
replies(3): >>45668201 #>>45672822 #>>45674088 #
3. pif ◴[22 Oct 25 12:43 UTC] No.45668201[source]▶
s/Syria/Libya/
replies(2): >>45668363 #>>45679335 #
4. philipwhiuk ◴[22 Oct 25 12:56 UTC] No.45668363{3}[source]▶
which really makes me skeptical of the whole thing
replies(1): >>45679691 #
5. Xixi ◴[22 Oct 25 13:03 UTC] No.45668454[source]▶
Sarkozy was not the only one sentenced to jail in that trial: Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux were also convicted, receiving sentences of six years and two years, respectively.

And then there are the many other trials involving Sarkozy and those around him...

replies(1): >>45674070 #
6. umanwizard ◴[22 Oct 25 13:45 UTC] No.45669074[source]▶
President, not Prime Minister.
7. regularjack ◴[22 Oct 25 14:06 UTC] No.45669390[source]▶
President
8. rsynnott ◴[22 Oct 25 17:16 UTC] No.45672210[source]▶
Chirac also got a jail sentence, though it was suspended on account of his age.

In Ireland, we prefer to just tie them up in tribunals for the rest of their lives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Haughey (PM til '92, under investigation from '97 to '06, at which point he died)

replies(1): >>45674961 #
9. lugu ◴[22 Oct 25 17:32 UTC] No.45672426[source]▶
His gang went way off track. The big picture is pretty wild and his involvement started in the 90s. This isn't your average politician stealing money.
10. AnonymousPlanet ◴[22 Oct 25 17:59 UTC] No.45672822[source]▶
And everyone can guess who was president when France was very eager to move against him. The UN mandate was just for securing the air space. But France and Britain successfully went in for the kill instead, making sure Sarkozy never had to pay back that money.
11. yujzgzc ◴[22 Oct 25 19:34 UTC] No.45674070[source]▶
Some also "escaped" by death (Takieddine)
12. ◴[22 Oct 25 19:35 UTC] No.45674088[source]▶
13. etiennebausson ◴[22 Oct 25 20:49 UTC] No.45674961[source]▶
That's what Sarkozy was going for, he had been slowing the procedure by any means necessary for 13 years.

That's why he's so pissed he was send to prison during his appeal. He expected to slow that down too, and get to stay at home on account of his age should he lose his appeal.

14. Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe ◴[23 Oct 25 07:50 UTC] No.45679335{3}[source]▶
Oups I'm so sorry you're right.
15. Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe ◴[23 Oct 25 08:48 UTC] No.45679691{4}[source]▶
I apologize for my mistake it is lybia in fact and not syria.

If you want to read about it in english, mediapart (one of the leading investigative journal on that case) has translated many of its articles : https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/dossier/sarkozy-gadd...

I believe there is a complete recap somewhere but sadly can't find it