January 15th – On the 15th, local time, the French National Finance Office said that it had begun an investigation into the case of former President Sarkozy’s suspected use of power for personal gain.
He has been previously arrested on suspicion of corruption and abuse of power, and may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and a heavy fine.
According to a report by France’s Le Monde on the 15th, a report by the French anti-money laundering department said that Sarkozy illegally collected 500,000 euros from a Russian insurance company in early 2020.
According to the report, the French National Finance Office has begun to investigate the case in the summer of 2020.
Sarkozy served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. After losing his re-election in 2012, he retired from politics and has been involved in lawsuits ever since.
He denied all the charges, claimed to have been persecuted by his political opponents, and repeatedly said that he would thoroughly cleanse the stigma.
