Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Sarkozy detained in French corruption probe



Sarkozy detained in French corruption probe
Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was detained Tuesday and reportedly questioned by financial investigators in a corruption probe that could cloud his chances of a political comeback.

The detention — a very unusual move for such a high-level figure — dominated French news broadcasts. The investigation is the latest in a string of probes to target the former leader.

Yet Sarkozy has not been convicted of anything, remains well-known on the international stage — and may be his troubled conservative party's best chance to regain the presidency in 2017.

A judicial official said Sarkozy was detained for questioning Tuesday at the headquarters of the judicial police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. The official, who was not authorized to be publicly named while discussing an ongoing investigation, would not elaborate.

Sarkozy could be held up to 24 hours, which could be extended for another day. His lawyer, Thierry Herzog, and a magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, were also held for questioning.

French media reports say Sarkozy is being questioned in an investigation linked to financing for his 2007 presidential campaign, notably allegations that late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gave Sarkozy millions of euros in illegal campaign donations.

The case centers around whether Sarkozy and his lawyer were kept informed about the investigation by a friendly magistrate, Azibert.

Sarkozy and Herzog have denied wrongdoing. Azibert's lawyer told reporters he hoped the detention would be over by the evening.

Investigators are basing suspicions at least in part on tapped phone conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer. The tapping raised questions about the limits between investigative needs and individual privacy. Sarkozy compared the situation to actions by the secret police in the old East Germany.

Allies from Sarkozy's conservative UMP party — which has been in a leadership crisis because of questions about spending during Sarkozy's 2012 presidential campaign — jumped to the former president's defense.

"They have never imposed such treatment on a former president, with such a surge of hate," lawmaker Christian Estrosi tweeted.

Former French President Jacques Chirac was convicted in a corruption investigation in 2011 after he left office, but when he was questioned he was not held in police custody.

The Socialist government tried to stay above the fray.

"Justice officials are investigating, they should carry out the task to the end. Nicolas Sarkozy is a citizen answerable to justice like any other," government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said on i-Tele television.

Political scientist Thomas Guenole said it's too early to draw any conclusions about Sarkozy's political career based on his latest detention.

"Nicolas Sarkozy has often been pronounced politically dead over the last two years because he was implicated in political-judicial affairs ... And he has always emerged," Guenole said.

He described an "immense love" for Sarkozy amid the hard-core of his party, which views the investigations against him as politically driven.

Sarkozy was handed preliminary charges in another investigation into whether he illegally took campaign donations from France's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. Those charges were later dropped.

In a separate case, relatives of French victims of a deadly 2002 bombing in Pakistan filed a complaint in Paris last year against Sarkozy and two former advisers for allegedly violating a duty to secrecy in the investigation of the case.

Sohrab Monemi and Louise Dewast in Nanterre contributed to this report.

Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France, and is a friend of Guy Wildenstein.

Note: Guy Wildenstein is a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, and a director at the French-American Foundation.
Bertrand P. Collomb was a director at the French-American Foundation, and a director at the ClimateWorks Foundation.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the ClimateWorks Foundation, the International Rescue Committee, the Brookings Institution (think tank), Committee for Economic Development, the Roosevelt Institute, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and had his wedding reception in 2013.
Christine Lagarde attended George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception, was the finance minister of France, and is a managing director at the International Monetary Fund.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn was a managing director for the International Monetary Fund, and the minister of economy for France.
Timothy F. Geithner was a director of policy development & review for the International Monetary Fund, an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and John A. Thain was his unofficial adviser.
John A. Thain was Timothy F. Geithner’s unofficial adviser, and is a director at the French-American Foundation.
Felix G. Rohatyn is a director at the French-American Foundation, and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.
Felix G. Rohatyn is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and was a U.S. ambassador for France.
Howard H. Leach was the U.S. ambassador for France, a board member for the Haas School of Business, and a regent for the University of California.
Laura D'Andrea Tyson is a professor at the Haas School of Business, and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Richard C. Blum is a board member at the Haas School of Business, a regent for the University of California, married to Senator Dianne Feinstein, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
C. Douglas Dillon was the chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a U.S. ambassador for France.
Richard L. Kauffman was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a director at the French-American Foundation.
G. Richard Thoman is a director at the French-American Foundation, and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Douglas M. Price is a director at the French-American Foundation, and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.
Donna S. Morea was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the EVP for the CGI Group Inc.
CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.
Obamacare is Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative.
Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and is Craig M. Robinson’s sister.
R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Penny S. Pritzker is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, married to Bryan Traubert, was the national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee, the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.
Bryan Traubert is married to Penny S. Pritzker, and a director at the National Park Foundation.
Elizabeth Frawley Bagley  is a director at the National Park Foundation, and was a director at the French-American Foundation.
Janet A. Howard is a director at the French-American Foundation, a governor at the Roosevelt Institute, and was a VP at the Coca-Cola Company.
Richard M. Daley is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Howard G. Buffett is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and is Warren E. Buffett’s son.
Warren E. Buffett was a director at the Coca-Cola Company, is Howard G. Buffett’s father, and James E. Cayne is his bridge partner.
James E. Cayne is Warren E. Buffett’s bridge partner, and a condo owner at The Plaza, New York.
Guy Wildenstein is a condo owner at The Plaza, New York, a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, and a director at the French-American Foundation.
Arthur A. Hartman is a director at the French-American Foundation, was a U.S. ambassador for France, and a U.S. ambassador for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
Mikhail Gorbachev was the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the general secretary for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation.
Valery Giscard d'Estaing is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, and was the president of France.
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, and the chair for the Roosevelt Institute.
Janet A. Howard is a governor at the Roosevelt Institute, a director at the French-American Foundation, and was a VP at the Coca-Cola Company.
Richard M. Daley is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Howard G. Buffett is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and is Warren E. Buffett’s son.
Warren E. Buffett was a director at the Coca-Cola Company, is Howard G. Buffett’s father, is an adviser at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), James E. Cayne is his bridge partner.
Pierre Lellouche was a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), a member of the French National Assembly, Jacques Chirac’s diplomatic adviser, and is a co-founder for the French Institute for International Affairs.
Jacques Chirac’s diplomatic adviser was Pierre Lellouche, and the president of France.
James E. Cayne is Warren E. Buffett’s bridge partner, and a condo owner at The Plaza, New York.
Guy Wildenstein is a condo owner at The Plaza, New York, a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, and a director at the French-American Foundation.
Nicolas Sarkozy is a friend of Guy Wildenstein, and was the president of France.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982
(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)
Richard L. Kauffman was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a director at the French-American Foundation.
C. Douglas Dillon was the chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a U.S. ambassador for France.
Howard H. Leach was the U.S. ambassador for France, a board member for the Haas School of Business, and a regent for the University of California.
Laura D'Andrea Tyson is a professor at the Haas School of Business, and was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Richard C. Blum is a board member at the Haas School of Business, a regent for the University of California, married to Senator Dianne Feinstein, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).








No comments: