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Sarkozy Oversteps in Rancorous Trial With Foe

Howls as French president calls Villepin 'guilty' in TV interview

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 25, 2009 5:34 AM CDT

(Newser) – Nicolas Sarkozy may have crossed the line in the continuing trial of his political foe Dominique de Villepin, the former French prime minister accused of waging a smear campaign against him in 2004. During a TV interview in New York, Sarkozy called Villepin and his co-defendants "the guilty parties"—reinforcing the widely held view that the trial is an exercise in score-settling. Villepin's lawyer called the president's comments "a scandalous violation of fundamental principles" and is filing a criminal complaint.

Villepin and four others are on trial for their role in the so-called Clearstream Affair, which began when Sarkozy's name was circulated on a list—later proven counterfeit—of figures said to be getting kickbacks from arms deals. As president, Sarkozy is immune from prosecution, but that hasn't stopped him from sending in his own lawyers to grill Villepin.This "situation should not be accepted in a republic that has principles," said one leading politician.

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Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, delivers remarks in the United Nations Security Council, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this 2005 file photo, France's then-Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin speaks at a news conference alongside then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. Villepin is on trial for forgery. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni arrive for the G-20 summit dinner in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Barack and Michelle Obama welcome France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni as they arrive for the G-20 summit dinner in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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After a two-year investigation, two independent investigating judges ruled that the guilty parties should be tried before a criminal court. - Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking about Dominique de Villepin and other defendants in the Clearstream trial

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Sarkozy Oversteps in Rancorous Trial With Foe