Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison for receiving illegal campaign funds from Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential bid.

A Paris court delivered the ruling on Friday, finding Sarkozy guilty of secretly working with the Gaddafi regime to bankroll his campaign. However, he was cleared of separate charges of corruption and illegal campaign financing.

In addition to the prison term, the 69-year-old former leader was ordered to pay a fine of $117,000.

The case, which has been ongoing since 2013, was triggered by revelations from Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, who alleged Sarkozy received millions of euros from Libya.

Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, describing the

See Full Page