Case of campaign accounts: Sarkozy says he “knew nothing” system of false invoices – MetroNews

Following an eleven o’clock hearing pole of the Paris prosecutor, Nicolas Sarkozy was set Tuesday for consideration “illegal financing of election campaign.” Friday, Express publishes large extracts of this “face to face” between the party boss Republicans and Judge Serge Tournaire of instruction in charge of the investigation into the funding of 2012 presidential campaign

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Throughout this hearing, Nicolas Sarkozy has not changed: he never knew that a vast system of false invoices had been set up to hide the explosion of the legal ceiling of his campaign expenses. “Signing a campaign account, it is an obligation that I could in no case exempt me, but not in any way mean that the sign campaign account is validated false conventions in UMP or false invoices between the UMP and Event [ subsidiary Bygmalion, note ], or the absence of bills in my campaign account, “said he argued before the magistrate, reports Express .

“administrative responsibility” but “not criminal”

“I do not know. I do not know. I signed campaign accounts implying my administrative responsibility, but not my criminal responsibility, “argued Nicolas Sarkozy during the interview, which remained courteous. Before recognizing a form of neglect: “I trusted the treasurer, the accountants, the lawyer They bring me the account, saying that all is well and I sign (…) But. truth is that I have not read anything, “he admitted.

According to him, no “indicator” could not allow him to understand that a fraud estimated at 22 million euros had been set up. Throughout the day, Nicolas Sarkozy insisted: it considers itself a victim of the leaders of Bygmalion, and its subsidiary, that would, according to him, personally enriched. “The turnover of Event from 4 million in 2011 to 20 million in 2012. The profit distribution in 2013, they did not mind,” he vituperated. Officials in his eyes? Franck Attal, the leader of Event and Jerome Lavrilleux, deputy director of the countryside and close to Jean-Francois Cope. A thesis that has clearly not convinced the judge.

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