In January 2020 Thierry Gaubert, a former close aide to Nicolas Sarkozy, was arrested and then placed under formal investigation for “criminal conspiracy” in relation to claims that the former president's 2007 election campaign was funded with Libyan money. Gaubert is now free on bail, but banned from meeting with either Sarkozy or the ex-head of state's long-standing friend and ally Brice Hortefeux. As Fabrice Arfi and Karl Laske report, this move marks a major turning point in the long-running judge-led investigation.
The arrest of a former key ally of Nicolas Sarkozy, followed by him being placed under formal investigation for “criminal conspiracy”, marks a turning point in the judge-led probe into claims that the Libyan regime under Muammar Gaddafi helped fund the ex-French president's 2007 election campaign.
