France’s ex-president Sarkozy escapes second ankle tag sentence

Last year he became modern France’s first president to go to jail, in a case related to alleged Libyan funding in his 2007 election campaign

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will not serve time with an electronic ankle tag as punishment for illegal funding of his 2012 re-election bid, an informed source said on Wednesday.

Sarkozy, 71, has faced a raft of accusations since leaving office after a single term from 2007 to 2012. He has denied all allegations in all cases.

Last year, he became modern France’s first-ever president to go to jail, serving 20 days in a case related to alleged Libyan funding in his 2007 election campaign. His appeal trial in the case is ongoing.

He has also received two definitive convictions in other cases.

In one of them, the country’s top court last year upheld a six-month term in the so-called “Bygmalion” case, finding he had overspent on his failed 2012 re-election bid with a PR firm called Bygmalion and then attempted to cover it up.

It was not clear at the time if he would have to wear an ankle tag.