Sarkozy Held for Questioning in Campaign Finance Case: Le Monde

(Bloomberg) -- Nicolas Sarkozy was detained for questioning by police in an investigation into suspected illegal financing from Libya for his successful 2007 campaign for the French presidency, Le Monde reported.

The questioning by police Tuesday morning in Nanterre, near Paris, marked the first time Sarkozy has spoken to investigators in the probe that began in 2013, the newspaper reported. He could remain in custody for 48 hours, Le Monde said.

Parisian investigative judges began tapping Sarkozy’s phone in 2013 as part of a probe into allegations of illegal funding by the regime of Libya’s former leader Muammar Qaddafi ahead of the Frenchman’s election in May 2007.

Calls to Sarkozy’s office and to his spokeswoman weren’t immediately returned. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, asked on RMC Radio about Le Monde’s report, said he would have no comment on the legal process.

--With assistance from Gregory Viscusi

To contact the reporters on this story: Phil Serafino in Paris at pserafino@bloomberg.net, Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net, Tara Patel

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