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Sarkozy named "assisted witness" in campaign funding case

Xinhua, April 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Former French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy was on Wednesday named as an assisted witness in a case over overspending in the 2012 election campaign.

The status of assisted witness means Sarkozy will not face trial at the end of the inquiry.

"Justice has won. They found that there was no need to put him (Sarkozy) under formal investigation. This case is thus closed," defense lawyer Thierry Herzog was quoted as saying by local media.

In July 2013, the Constitutional Council, France's top constitutional body, confirmed Sarkozy had exceeded spending limits by 2.1 percent or 22.5 million euros (24.23 million U.S. dollars).

It imposed a personal 360,000 euros fine on Sarkozy that was paid off by the UMP party.

After winning the leadership of the conservative UMP party a year later, the former head of state paid 363,615 euros to the UMP party treasurer in an attempt to bring the matter to a close.

The inquiry over his failed campaign came three days after the conservatives gained the most votes in the country's regional election which is likely to give an impetus to Sarkozy to book a ticket for the Elysee palace in the coming years.

The former president has been in a series of investigations over corruption, including the Bettencourt affair wherein he was charged with allegedly taking financial advantage of the elderly French billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress of the l'Oreal group.( 1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollars) Enditem