French court acquits former French PM in slander trial over alleged role in Sarkozy smears

Court acquits former French PM in slander trial

PARIS — A French court acquitted former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Thursday of playing a role in a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, capping a trial that exposed a bitter rivalry between the two politicians.

The acquittal paves the way for Villepin — an eloquent diplomat known for his 2003 U.N. speech urging the United States not to invade Iraq — to try to return to politics, including a possible run for the presidency in 2012.

The ruling reflects poorly on Sarkozy. The president has said he believes the alleged smear campaign was intended to upend his 2007 presidential bid and he filed suit, saying he believed Villepin was “the primary instigator.”

The case dates to 2004, when the two rivals were ministers under former President Jacques Chirac, and both were considered serious contenders for the presidency.

Villepin accused Sarkozy of using the trial as a political weapon and cast himself as a victim of “abuse of power.” Sarkozy said Thursday in a statement that he would not appeal.

In comments that appeared designed to clear a path for new political prospects, Villepin said Thursday that he had “no hard feelings,” though he acknowledged the trial had hurt him.

“I want to turn toward the future, to serve the French, and in a spirit of unity, to contribute to France’s recovery,” said Villepin, prime minister from 2005 to 2007. Even before the verdict, he had started to explore a new presidential campaign.

Lawyers for Villepin had asked for his acquittal on charges of complicity in slander and forgery. The prosecution had recommended an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of €45,000 ($67,000) for Villepin.

Several of the other defendants were convicted on various charges in the complex case, known in France as “Clearstream.” Sarkozy was one of 40 plaintiffs in the trial, which also delved into old international arms deals, offshore bank accounts and the French aviation and defense industries.

The tangled web began in 2004 with a mysterious list purporting to show clients who held secret accounts with Luxembourg clearing house Clearstream, including Sarkozy and other leading French political and business figures. The accounts were purportedly created to hold bribes from a 1991 sale of warships to Taiwan, and other shady income.

Villepin was given the list and he asked a retired general to investigate it. It turned out to be a hoax, but was by then it was already circulating in political and legal circles. The indictment said Villepin should have alerted judicial authorities to the scam earlier.

Another defendant, Jean-Louis Gergorin, a former vice president at Airbus’ parent company, was sentenced to three years in jail with 21 months of that suspended and a fine of €40,000 for slander and other illegal acts. He said he would appeal.

Imad Lahoud, alleged to be the one who falsified the list, was sentenced to three years in prison with 18 months of that suspended and fined €40,000 euros for his role in the falsification and other charges. Lahoud’s lawyer said he and his client would reflect on whether to appeal.

The other defendants were an accountant accused of stealing Clearstream documents used to make the faked list, Florian Bourges, and Denis Robert, an investigative journalist accused of giving the Clearstream documents to Lahoud. Bourges was given a four-month suspended sentence for abuse of confidence. Robert was acquitted.

Besides Villepin, other former French prime ministers have faced legal woes.

In 2004, Alain Juppe was convicted in a corruption case that predated his time as premier. In 1999, Laurent Fabius was acquitted of manslaughter in a case of people given blood transfusions tainted with the HIV virus. Both men once were considered potential presidential candidates.