Former French Interior minister Claude Guéant has denied having received Libyan money allegedly used to fund Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign, reports France 24.
The former president’s close friend and collaborator spent Tuesday going around radio and TV stations asserting his innocence.
However Guéant did confirm allegations made by French weekly newspaper Le Canard Enchainé on Tuesday, that documents relating to a money transfer on one of his bank accounts of more than 500,000 euros were confiscated after the police searched his apartment and law firm offices last February.
He said that money was declared and came from the sale of 17th century Dutch paintings he owned.
“These are processions I bought 20 years ago,” he said. “I have all the receipts and have made them available to the court.”
He recognised that some bills were paid in cash thanks to his ministerial “bonuses,” which went from “anything in between 20,000 to 25,000 euros.”
“Where did the cash come from?” he said. “It’s very simple and has been happening since the beginning of time. Bonuses given to the higher officials at the interior ministry were - until we put a stop to it with under Nicolas Sarkozy in 2006 - paid in cash.”
Read more of this report from France 24.