Nicolas Sarkozy was today being questioned in court over allegations that he received illegal funding for his 2007 election campaign.
The former president, 57, appeared before a judge in Bordeaux about claims that he accepted donations from France’s richest woman, L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, 90.
Claire Thibout, Mrs Bettencourt’s former accountant, has told police that Eric Woerth, Mr Sarkozy’s then campaign treasurer, collected 150,000 euros in cash from her. In France, individual campaign contributions are limited to 4,600 euros.
Mr Woerth, who was forced to resign from his post in July as a result of the scandal, is under formal investigation over the allegations.
The judge will decide whether Mr Sarkozy will be charged with taking advantage of Mrs Bettencourt. Mr Sarkozy has denied all allegations.
Mr Sarkozy, who lost the presidential election to François Hollande in May, is rumoured to be a potential candidate in the 2017 presidential race.
However, if magistrates decide to launch a judicial investigation, the process could take years even it never comes to trial.
Mr Sarkozy’s departure from the UMP party sparked a bitter leadership battle and the defeated candidate in last Sunday’s vote has called for a recount.
Former prime minister François Fillon said that votes from three overseas territories, which were omitted from the count, would change the result. Mr Fillon lost to Jean-François Cope by 98 votes.