A story from Paris about the President’s election campaign being financed by Libya. Saif al-Islam threatens to publish details of bank transfers to punish Sarkozy for backing Libyan rebels
This article titled “Sarkozy election campaign was funded by Libya, claims Gaddafi’s son” was written by Kim Willsher in Paris and Ian Black in Tripoli, for The Guardian on Wednesday 16th March 2011 12.01 UTC Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s son has claimed Libya helped finance Nicolas Sarkozy’s successful re-election campaign in 2007 and wants the French president to give the money back. In an interview with the Euronews TV channel, Saif al-Islam said the Libyan regime had details of bank transfers and was ready to make them public in a move designed to punish Sarkozy for throwing his weight behind the opposition forces in Libya. Asked what he felt about Sarkozy’s unsuccessful efforts to muster international support for military intervention against the regime in Tripoli, Saif said: “Sarkozy must first give back the money he took from Libya to finance his electoral campaign. “We funded it. We have all the details and are ready to reveal everything. The first thing we want this clown to do is to give the money back to the Libyan people. He was given the assistance so he could help them but he has disappointed us. Give us back our money.” The Libyan regime has yet to release any incriminating documentary evidence. A spokeswoman for the Élysée Palace told the Guardian she had no information or comment about the claims. Libyan sources have separately told the Guardian that substantial funds were paid into accounts to fund Sarkozy’s presidential campaign in 2007. Sources in Tripoli have made clear that the leak of this information is direct retaliation for France’s leading role in a diplomatic campaign to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and its unique recognition of the Benghazi-based rebel Libyan national council. The Guardian has been unable to confirm the claims independently. “Sarkozy is playing dirty, so we are playing dirty too,” said a well-placed Libyan source. French law places strict limits on party donations to candidates. Last year, Sarkozy was rocked by a political scandal involving alleged illegal donations to his party funds by France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt.
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