Ex-French President «to Face Trial Over 2012 Campaign Fraud Claims»

Local Editor

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will reportedly face trial for exceeding election expenses during his failed 2012 campaign.

A judicial source told Reuters that 13 others would also face trial over the so-called "Bygmalion Affair", which involved charges of spending overruns and funding irregularities.

Sarkozy was previously placed under investigation in a probe into his campaign funding.

His 2012 re-election campaign costs were more than twice the legal limit.

Sarkozy hadrepeatedly denied knowledge of the overspending because he was not involved in the details of his campaign finance.

It is alleged he exceeded the spending limit of 22.5m euros [£19m] through false invoices issued by the Bygmalion PR Company.

The decision to put Sarkozy on trial comes as French politicians face growing scrutiny over their personal finances in the build-up to this year's presidential election in April and May.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team