French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy under formal investigationMarch 22, 2018 - 11:30 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation over allegations he received campaign funding from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the BBC reports. He is being investigated for illicit campaign financing, misappropriation of Libyan public funds and passive corruption. He was released on Wednesday, March 21 following two days of questioning over the financing of his 2007 campaign. Sarkozy, 63, has denied wrongdoing. He says his Libyan accusers are seeking vengeance for his decision to deploy French warplanes during the uprising which overthrew Gaddafi in 2011. The centre-right politician failed in his bid to return to power in 2012, losing to socialist François Hollande. In 2013, France opened an investigation into allegations that Sarkozy's campaign had benefited from millions of euros of illicit funds from Gaddafi. One of Sarkozy's former ministers and a close ally, Brice Hortefeux, was also reportedly questioned by police on Tuesday. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |