Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison if a Paris court convicts him of secretly using funds from the Libyan government of late Moammar Gadhafi to finance his presidential campaign in 2007.
The verdict is expected on Thursday. If convicted, the 70-year-old Sarkozy would be the first former French president found guilty of accepting illegal foreign funds to win office.
Sarkozy, who was elected in 2007 but lost his bid for reelection in 2012, has denied all wrongdoing during a three-month trial earlier this year that also involved 11 co-defendants, including three former ministers.