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France's Sarkozy appeals against vote funding investigation

Former president appeals to Court of Cassation over investigation into allegations that he took advantage of mental frailty of L'Oréal heiress.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy appealed to France's highest court on Monday to stop a criminal inquiry into accusations that he duped a billionaire heiress into donating campaign funds, a case that threatens his political future, reports Reuters.

Sarkozy's lawyer asked the Court of Cassation to overturn an appeals court ruling this month upholding the investigation into allegations that he took advantage of the mental frailty of L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, France's richest woman, to obtain money for his 2007 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy denies the accusations. Most of the 11 other defendants in the case also lodged appeals.

Read more of this report from Reuters.