Thursday, January 28, 2010

De Villepin was a victim, not an instigator, of smear campaign

Former French PM Acquitted of Slandering Sarkozy
Voice of America
January 28, 2010


Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin has been acquitted on charges of orchestrating a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy. The verdict opens the path for Mr. de Villepin's political return.

In a statement following the verdict, Mr. de Villepin saluted the Paris court that delivered the judgment for its courage in allowing justice to prevail over politics.

...Several other defendants were convicted on a variety of charges and another was acquitted.

...Mr. de Villepin was accused of complicity in slander and forgery in a tangled case involving bogus kickback accounts. The fake accounts were part of a larger campaign to smear the image of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other top political figures...

No comments: