Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been placed under formal investigation over allegations he received campaign funding from late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
Mr. Sarkozy clinched big trade deals for France with Gaddafi in 2007 when he was president, the BBC reports.
He is being investigated for illicit campaign financing, misappropriation of Libyan public funds and passive corruption.
He was released on Wednesday following two days of questioning over the financing of his 2007 campaign.
Mr. Sarkozy, 63, has denied wrongdoing.
He said 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 Mr. Sarkozy’s campaign had benefited from millions of euros of illicit funds from Gaddafi.
One of Mr. Sarkozy’s former ministers and a close ally, Brice Hortefeux, was also reportedly questioned by police on Tuesday.
Source: The Nation
