Paris, May 2, (dpa/GNA) – A French court questioned Carla Bruni, the wife of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, amid investigations into alleged illegal campaign funding from Libya for his election bid in 2007.

Sarkozy allegedly received illegal campaign funds from Libyan strongman Moamer Gaddafi and has been charged with illegal campaign financing, embezzlement of public funds and bribery, allegations he denies.

Musician and former French first lady Bruni was questioned on Thursday about possible witness tampering, the Paris financial prosecutor’s office confirmed to dpa.

At this stage of the proceedings, Bruni’s possible involvement is being examined without her being considered a defendant, the office said. She was already questioned as a witness just under a year ago.

The Libya affair centres on allegations that money for Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election campaign came illegally from Gaddafi’s regime.

French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine said in 2016 that he had brought several suitcases containing millions of euros – provided by the Libyan regime – to the Paris Interior Ministry, which was headed by Sarkozy at the time, in late 2006 or early 2007.

He was initially considered to be the main witness, but later said Sarkozy had not received any Libyan money for his campaign. Later still, Takieddine said that the statement had been falsified.

Amid the confusion, the French judiciary launched a further investigation in 2021 to clarify whether the prosecution’s main witness was bribed to change his statement.

The judiciary suspects Takieddine was offered money from Sarkozy’s associates to do so. Bruni’s role could have been to bring those involved into contact with each other, according to the judiciary.

Sarkozy, who was French president from 2007 to 2012, has been battling with the judicial authorities for years over a slew of allegations. GNA