Former French President Accused of Illegally Receiving Money from Libya

French judges have officially accused Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, of illegally receiving money for election campaigns, bribery, and misusing public funds from Libya during the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi. The official charges were announced following Sarkozy's arrest and subsequent release. Sarkozy is accused of receiving suitcases full of cash from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his election campaign. He was arrested on Tuesday and after 15 hours of questioning, was allowed to leave the detention center and return for further questioning on Wednesday morning. He was then released on Wednesday, and it was unclear until hours before whether he would be formally charged or if the case would be closed. Sarkozy claims he has done nothing illegal. He is accused of receiving illegal funds, which were reportedly double the limit at that time regarding financial resources for election campaigns. Sarkozy, now 63, served as president of France from 2007 to 2012. In addition to the corruption allegations, bribery, and receiving money from Libya, France played a decisive role during Sarkozy's presidency in the attack on Gaddafi's regime and the events that followed. Shortly after winning the election, Sarkozy invited Gaddafi to Paris for a meeting at the Élysée Palace. However, four years later, Paris, alongside London, became a key player in forming a foreign military operation against Gaddafi, which the US and Canada also joined. The military intervention by Western countries in Libya was conducted under a UN Security Council resolution to establish a no-fly zone over the country. The central government of Libya, led by Gaddafi, collapsed, but since then, the country has descended into crisis, chaos, and conflict among rival forces. Libya is said to have become one of the main centers for extremist groups, including the Islamic State. Barack Obama, the former US president, criticized the policies of David Cameron, the British prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy in an interview with The Atlantic two years ago, implicitly pointing out the lack of a European plan for the post-Gaddafi era.