Suspicions of Libyan financing by Nicolas Sarkozy: why is Carla Bruni being interviewed by investigators this Thursday ?

Already heard as a witness in this case in June 2023, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is this time questioned in a free hearing of the accused person. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – ETTORE FERRARI

Carla Bruni, wife of the former French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy, is heard this Thursday, May 2, as a defendant in one part of the investigation into the Libyan financing of the her husband's 2007 presidential campaign

Carla Bruni is heard this Thursday, May 2 "in free hearing of accused person"& nbsp;as part of the judicial investigation into the affair of supposed Libyan financing of the presidential campaign of her husband Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2007

The investigations focus on the spectacular about-face at the end of 2020 by the Franco-Lebanese intermediary Ziad Takieddine who suddenly cleared the former French head of state in the country. rsquo;investigation into Libyan funds, which would have been paid by the Gaddafi regime, after having been its main accuser.

Investigators suspect several people close to Nicolas Sarkozy of having participated in an operation to obtain this change of heart, which ultimately had no impact on the heart of the investigations into Libyan funds. In this witness tampering aspect, Nicolas Sarkozy was indicted at the beginning of October.

Exchanges with the "queen of the paparazzi" Mimi Marchand

His wife Carla Bruni was heard as a simple witness in June 2023 but is now among those implicated due to her exchanges with the &amp ;quot;queen of the paparazzi" French, Mimi Marchand, suspected of having participated in the retraction of Ziad Takieddine and indicted in this case.

According to a source close to the case, the judge in charge of the investigation is wondering in particular about a possible "will to conceal" of Carla Bruni while all her messages exchanged with Mimi Marchand were allegedly deleted on June 5, 2021, the day the latter was indicted.

The ex-top model and singer is therefore suspected of having played at least a role as a point of contact in this case between different protagonists. Hearings have been carried out in recent months in his entourage, another source close to the matter told AFP.

Eleven protagonists suspected of having participated in the operation

In this case, there are now eleven protagonists, including Carla Bruni, who are suspected of having participated, at varying times and degrees, in this operation which was mainly aimed at deceiving justice French.

At the heart of the Libyan financing case for his 2007 campaign, Nicolas Sarkozy was also put on trial alongside twelve other defendants, after ten years of investigation.

The former head of state, who disputes the facts, must be judged at the beginning of 2025 in particular for "concealment of embezzlement of public funds& ;quot;, "passive corruption" and "illegal financing election campaign".