Graft case: French Court to declare its verdict against Nicolas Sarkozy on March 1

A French court will deliver its verdict on March 1, 2021,
against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is facing corruption charges, AFP
reported on Thursday.

Sarkozy is expected to get four years – of which he will
have to serve two years—for offering bribe in the form of a plum retirement job
to a judge in exchange for inside information on an inquiry into his campaign
finances.

The 65-year-old is the first French head of the state to ever
be tried for corruption charges.

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Prosecutors have asked for the same punishment for Sarkozy’s
lawyer and co-defendant, Thierry Herzog, as well as for the judge, Gilbert
Azibert.

Sarkozy said he will fight the charges and will not let any
opportunity go to clear his name.

The French president, who ruled the country from 2007 to
2012, has been booked under charges which attract a maximum sentence of 10
years and a fine up to one million Euros ($1.2 million).

Also read: Nicolas Sarkozy vows ‘go all the way’ to clear his name in graft trial

Defending himself in court for the first time on Monday,
Sarkozy said he relished the prospect of getting a fair hearing after being
“dragged through the mud for six years”, AFP wrote.

“What did I do to deserve this?” asked Sarkozy,
who wore a dark suit and a surgical mask, vowing to “go all the way for
the truth”.