Former French president arrested over illegal funding allegations

He is being questioned by police in relation to financing from Libya during the 2007 presidential campaign, which he won, according to Le Monde.

“The probe relates to alleged Libyan funding for Mr Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign, Le Monde newspaper reported.

He was summoned to a police station in Nanterre where he is being questioned over the allegations.

This is the first time Mr Sarkozy has been spoken to by authorities in connection with the inquiry, which opened in 2013.

Mr Sarkozy was however placed under formal examination in February 2016 over alleged illegal campaign funding in 2012.

A former minister and close ally of Sarkozy, Brice Hortefeux, was also questioned by police on Tuesday morning in relation to the Libya investigation, another source close to the probe said.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has always denied receiving any illicit campaign funding and has dismissed the Libyan allegations as ‘grotesque’.