Sarkozy charged with taking advantage of elderly heiress
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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (centre) leaves Bordeaux' courthouse on March 21, 2013, after a hearing before a judge over claims he accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt to illegally finance his 2007 election campaign. Sarkozy was on Thursday charged with taking advantage of Ms Bettencourt, his lawyer told AFP, adding that he would immediately appeal. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
BORDEAUX (AFP) - Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was on Thursday charged with taking advantage of the elderly L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, his lawyer told AFP, adding that he would immediately appeal.
The move came after Sarkozy was unexpectedly summoned for a face-to-face encounter with staff members of Bettencourt over claims he accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from the world's richest woman to illegally finance his 2007 election campaign.
Sarkozy's lawyer Thierry Herzog lambasted the decision as "legally incoherent and unfair".
He said he would immediately appeal and ask that the arraignment be dropped.
