Jacques Chirac verdict welcomed by anti-corruption campaigners

convicted former president for embezzlement of public funds seen as a historic moment for French Democracy

, Jacques Chirac, can hope to remember that the President did diplomatic heavyweight who retired from the world stage to become the unofficial grandfather of his nation. A man of "flesh and blood ... and principles employed in the service of his country, "as he says.

place, a place in the history of France was severely damaged after a Paris court convicted him of embezzlement and gave him a sentence of two years suspended sentence on charges of corruption.

posterity may judge that the most successful of the former president did not in France or the euro against the war in Iraq, but not wanting to shed light on cronyism and corruption undermined much of French political life.

Even before the verdict, counsel for the former president had warned that the stakes. "His trial will be the last image is given by Jacques Chirac," Georges Kiejman told the court that his client alleging ill be deleted.

Dominique Pauthe

judge was unmoved, however, Chirac and convicted on charges of embezzling public funds, abuse of public trust and conflict of interest illegal.

The verdict surprised Chirac was the first former French leader to be sentenced since Marshal Philippe Petain, head of the Vichy regime, was sentenced in 1945 to collaborate with the Nazis.

Thursday evening, Mr. Chirac said through his lawyers that "strongly opposed" the verdict, but would not appeal.

Chirac, 79, who ruled France between 1995 and 2007, was not in court to hear the trial. He was given special permission to be saved to court in September and the verdict was read Thursday after a medical report found he had "irreversible" neurological problems that caused a "loss of memory."

The verdict came 20 years after the crime and after more than a decade of legal wrangling. During his tenure as president, Jacques Chirac enjoyed immunity from prosecution and refused to testify before the judge, saying he was "incompatible" with his role as head of state. Even after leaving the office a few former leader should now fragile to be brought to justice, much less convicted.

Even the prosecutor had asked that the case be dropped, saying there was insufficient evidence to prove intentional corruption. The Court rejected.

Benoît Hamon, spokesman for the Socialist opposition party, said it was just what he did. The trial was later said, "but the important thing was done and that justice has been done."

added that "a good sign for French Democracy, an independent judiciary able to pronounce a verdict on former president of the republic."

Kiejman

After the verdict said he hoped that the French language is still a place in their heart to their former president, whose popularity soared after leaving his post in 2007 to be replaced by his former protégé, Nicolas Nicolas Sarkozy. "My hope is that this decision does not change the deep affection that the French are legitimately by Jacques Chirac."

Speaking outside the court, Mr. Chirac adopted daughter born in Vietnam, Anh Dao Traxel, fought tears when he said:. "The judicial system has been very severe, but it is a system of independent and impartial justice for the family, is a great sorrow that we must accept."

• Chirac, at one point said the most unpopular president of the Fifth Republic by the investigators, was known for his smooth charm, lack of focus, diplomacy and the love of Beer in Mexico and Japanese sumo. The charges against him and nine other defendants, seven were sentenced Thursday to return to his time as mayor of Paris in the 1990s, when Chirac was accused of using public money for their own political purposes.

Nicknamed the "fake jobs" so that the case centered around 21 fictitious jobs created in the city of Paris between 1990 and 1995. He became mayor in 1977 (left) and served until 1995, and a period of two years in the '80s, when he was prime minister. The researchers estimated that about ? 1 million (£ 838,000) in salaries and expenses were removed from the payroll of the city to pay people who work full-time party of Chirac on the eve of his campaign successful election in 1995.

for the human right

Chirac as mayor, Alain Juppé, former prime minister and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs today, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his involvement in the case in 2004.

authorities of the city of Paris had waived his right to become party to the case against him, after reaching an agreement and be reimbursed by Chirac and the leader of center-right Union for a Popular Movement party (UMP) to the tune of ? 2.2 million, without admission of the case guilt.The followed by a series of allegations of corruption in political financing. Many participate Chirac Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) party, who later became the UMP.
successor as President Chirac, Sarkozy has been tarnished by allegations of corruption involving his friends and allies - also involving claims of illegal party financing. A judicial inquiry into the question of the so-called Karachi - undertake commissions on the sale of submarines to Pakistan in 1994 - was at least two friends of Nicolas Sarkozy indicted

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