Paris – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and two former associates have been sentenced to three years in jail – two of them suspended – for corruption.
Sarkozy, 66, was found guilty of trying to bribe a magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, by offering a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information about a criminal inquiry into his political party.
Sarkozy’s ex-lawyer Thierry Herzog and Azibert got the same sentence.
Sarkozy can serve the term at home.
In the ruling, the judge said Sarkozy could serve house arrest with an electronic tag. The ex-president is expected to appeal.
Prosecutors sought a four-year jail sentence for Sarkozy, half of which would be suspended.
Sarkozy is also due to go on trial in a separate case, from 17 March to 15 April, in which he is accused of having fraudulently overspent in his 2012 presidential campaign. He had served as president since 2007 – but his 2012 re-election bid was unsuccessful.
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