French ex-President Sarkozy gets 5 years jail term

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Paris criminal court for attempting to illegally finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy, stating that the offenses date back to his time as Interior Minister, reports Reuters.

Sarkozy has denied the allegations and announced plans to appeal the verdict.

If the appeal fails, Sarkozy could become the first former French president to serve time in prison.