Sarkozy is Thoroughly Investigated by French Judges

Nicolas Sarkozy and Liliane Bettencourt

Yesterday, the home and offices of the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy were investigated thoroughly while he was in vacations on Canada. Judge Jean-Mitchel Gentil, organized the police raid along with two other unnamed judges.

The investigation is an intended blunt message to the former president, “Don’t mess with the judicial system. You are no longer above the law.” Judge Gentil made sure that Sarkozy knew what was happening.

The former president was woken on two occasions only to know that the judge had searched his house in Paris and to inform him that Gentil was searching for incriminating documents at his post-presidential offices in central Paris.

Last month Sarkozy had annoyed judge Gentil after he said during a press conference that he was “in the clear” in the sprawling “Bettencourt affair.” The raids were extremely severe; this was judge Gentil’s way of saying to Sarkozy, “au contraire,” he remains at the centre of his investigation. (AV)