French prosecutors on Thursday requested a seven-year jail term for former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a €300,000 ( $323.860) fine, and a five-year ban on holding public office in connection with allegations of Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential campaign, public broadcaster France 24 reported.
Sarkozy, 69, who was president from 2007-2012, is accused of accepting illegal campaign financing in an alleged pact with late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The prosecution claims that the funds were channeled through two intermediaries, Ziad Takieddine and Alexandre Djouhri, via wire transfers and cash payments.
Sarkozy, who has consistently denied the allegations, reacted to the prosecutor's request by issuing a statement on social media, criticizing the severity of the proposed sentence.
"The excessiveness of the penalty requested is outrageous," he said, standing by his innocence.
"Behind the public image of the man lies a figure driven by a devouring personal ambition, willing to sacrifice essential values such as integrity, honesty, and decency," said prosecutor Sebastien de la Touanne.
The prosecution also called for substantial penalties for several of his associates. Former Interior Minister Claude Gueant, accused of negotiating the corrupt deal on Sarkozy's behalf, is facing six years in prison and a €100,000 fine.
Sarkozy's close allies, Brice Hortefeux and Eric Woerth, have been charged for their roles in the financing scheme.
Hortefeux, the campaign director, faces three years in prison and a €150,000 fine, while Woerth, the campaign treasurer, is at risk of one year in prison and a fine of €3,750.
The prosecutor argued that the case against Sarkozy was solid, with multiple traces of illicit money funding the 2007 campaign.
The charges include corruption, embezzlement of public funds, illegal campaign financing, and criminal conspiracy.
Defense attorneys for Sarkozy are set to present their arguments on April 8, following a series of tense hearings.
Following his 2007 election victory, Sarkozy visited Tripoli and later hosted Gaddafi in Paris to sign arms deals. He was also the first to call for military intervention in Libya in 2011.
