“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,” said Saif-al Islam, currently held in Libya following
the overthrow of his father’s regime.
“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.”
Mr Sarkozy provoked outrage among opposition figures and some members of his
government when he welcomed Gaddafi to Paris in late 2007 when the Libyan
dictator was permitted to pitch his tent next to the Elysée Palace.
But he was the first to recognise the Libyan opposition last year and French
jets were the first to strike Gaddafi’s tanks in a military campaign that
ended with the Libyan leader’s death.
The memo relates the testimony of Mr Takieddine’s former personal doctor,
Didier Grosskopf, whom the dealer took on numerous trips to Libya, and who
claimed he witnessed negotiations on party funding. Mr Takieddine cut off
all relations with the doctor in 2006, when the memo was written.
Fabrice Arfi, the co-author of the Mediapart report, told The Daily Telegraph
that Mr Grosskopf “wanted to put down in writing what he had witnessed in
case anything happened to him because of what he knew”.
The memo also mentions the alleged presence of “BH”, Brice Hortefeux, one of
Mr Sarkozy’s oldest friends who went on to become his interior minister and
is now part of his campaign team.
Mr Hortefeux confirmed yesterday that the 2005 meeting took place but that
“never was there any question of political financing whatsoever”.
The memo reached the investigating magistrate, Renaud Van Ruymbeke, as part of
an inquiry into Mr Takieddine’s alleged role in party funding.
Mr Sarkozy on Monday night angrily denied the allegations he had received
money from Gaddafi. “If he (Gaddafi) had financed it, then I haven’t been
very grateful,” Mr Sarkozy said. “Gaddafi, who is known for talking
nonsense, even said that there were cheques. Well then the son should just
go ahead and produce them then.”
Mr Takieddine has denied involvement in any illegal party funding. When
previously asked about Saif al-Islam’s claims, a spokesman for the Elysée
Palace told Le Monde: “We deny it, quite evidently.”
Mr Takieddine declined to comment about the latest allegations.
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