Bygmalion: what Sarkozy told the judges – Europe1

How Nicolas Sarkozy has defended it before the judges Tuesday at his hearing? The former head of state has been indicted for illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign, in the investigation of false invoices Bygmalion the company and the accounts of his campaign. Europe 1 had access to the minutes and you summarize the arguments of the former head of state.

67 questions . Nicolas Sarkozy denies any slippage. “I object in the strongest terms today charged me and I intend to answer all the questions put to me,” he said at the beginning of the interview judges, which lasted more than eleven hours. Questions, there were many: 67 in all, recounted in a report of 34 pages. Facing them, Nicolas Sarkozy alternate long and precise answers on the official figures of his campaign, with more evasive answers.

“facially speaking, there was no discrepancy” . His main argument: it does “not understand”, he does not “see” how his campaign could cost as much as suspect Justice (two times more than the 22.5 million authorized by law, Editor’s note). “I have done nothing more or less than in the 2007 campaign,” insists the party president Republicans. Same rooms, same meetings, same movement, same planes, he said. Nicolas Sarkozy also uses a particular expression to indicate that, when he was on stage, he did not see the difference between 2007 and 2012: “facially speaking, there was no anomaly”

“Amalgam” . Why, despite the warnings of his campaign manager, he was still asked to make a public meeting a day? Why has he done 44 rallies? Nicolas Sarkozy responds that there is a “mix” between the three major national meetings, regional meetings of the fortnight and the multitude of small public meetings he could do here and there. “Small meetings” which even billed by Bygmalion, did not cost that expensive, he said.

The culprits? Bygmalion and accounting . Clearly, if it turned out that there had been spent astronomical sums they have not been in favor of the campaign. For him, there was clearly “a willingness to divert money” in the case of false invoices. Nicolas Sarkozy blames people Bygmalion, the event management company which organized some meetings. Nicolas Sarkozy insists also on the fact that many patrons were relatives of Jean-Francois Cope. Follow her look … Finally, former president points to the accountants, who were responsible accountable. He insists: it was not for him to “control the 46 boxes of bills.” It thus emphasizes the will of embezzlement of some and the “lightness or incompetence” of others.