Not except for a contradiction.
The sulphurous intermediary Ziad Takieddine, who in November withdrew his accusations against Nicolas Sarkozy over an alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, again incriminated the former president during an interrogation in January of which AFP was aware Tuesday.
“I cannot confirm that there was no funding.
This could have been done by other means than by me, which is certainly the case ”, assured the Franco-Lebanese businessman in front of the French judges who came to hear him in Beirut on January 14.
READ ALSO>
Libyan funding: why Takieddine's turnaround will be difficult to verify
The hearing took place in Lebanon, where Mr. Takieddine, 70, fled last summer after being convicted in June in France in the financial aspect of the Karachi case.
It was intended in particular to clarify the reasons why the businessman, indicted in this investigation, had declared in interviews broadcast on November 11 by Paris-Match and BFMTV: “Mr. Sarkozy did not had Libyan funding for the presidential campaign, nor Mr. Gaddafi could do it because he never did ”.
Paris-Match would have "distorted" his words
The former head of state, indicted in this case in March 2018 for "concealment of embezzlement of public funds", "passive corruption" and "illegal financing of electoral campaign", then in mid-October for "Criminal association", had triumphed: "The truth finally breaks out."
But the about-face was short-lived: while confirming the verbatim from the rushes of the videos, Mr. Takieddine claimed in January before the magistrates that his comments in November had been "distorted" by Paris-Match ...
READ ALSO>
Nicolas Sarkozy condemned: "I have turned the page, I do not want to return to politics"
Known for his versatility, Mr. Takieddine also reiterated his conviction that the 2007 presidential campaign of Mr. Sarkozy had received the contribution of Libyan funds.
He also assured, in confused explanations, to be able to "deliver within 15 days" an original document "compromising the Sarkozy team in its entirety" and which would mention a sum of "25 million" euros, different from the "Libyan document. »Published in 2012 by Mediapart and became part of the investigation.
Morning essentials newsletter
A tour of the news to start the day
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
PODCAST.
Libya, presidential 2007… what Nicolas Sarkozy told judges for 40 hours
But the intermediary insisted on one point: he had nothing to do with it.
The former head of state "did not touch anything coming from me" or "through me", he insisted.
Contacted by AFP, the entourage of Nicolas Sarkozy had not responded Tuesday in the middle of the day.