Former French President Sarkozy loses 1st appeal over corruption trial

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday lost a first appeal against facing trial over influence peddling and corruption charges, Reuters reported. He must await a second appeal before knowing if he will be sent to court, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, is suspected of helping a prosecutor get promoted in return for leaked information about a separate criminal inquiry. Investigators were using phone-taps to examine allegations that late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi funded Sarkozy’s election campaign when they began to suspect the former French leader had used a network of informants to keep tabs on the criminal case. It was unclear when the next appeal decision would come.