Sarkozy election campaign was funded by Libya – Gaddafi son | The Guardian

Sarkozy election campaign was funded by Libya – Gaddafi son | World news | The Guardian

Saif al-Islam threatens to publish details of bank transfers to punish French PM for backing Libyan rebels 

Ian Black in Tripoli and Kim Willsher in Paris  

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 March 2011 12.01 GMT

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi: 'Give us back our money.' Photograph: Sabri Elmhedwi/EPA
Muammar Gaddafi's son has claimed that Libya helped finance Nicolas Sarkozy's successful election campaign in 2007, and demanded that the French president return the money to "the Libyan people". In an interview with the Euronews TV channel, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said Libya had details of bank transfers and was ready to make them public in a move designed to punish Sarkozy for throwing his weight behind opposition forces.

Flashback: Behind Sarkozy's Libya Coup - TIME

Behind Sarkozy's Libya Coup - TIME
Since taking office in mid-May, President Nicolas Sarkozy has been busy on the international stage. First, the French President gave an impressive performance during his first G8 summit; then he played a central role breaking the deadlock over how to structure the European Union. Since then, he has opened an ambitious new chapter in Franco-British cooperation alongside new Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and has announced a radical revamping of the executive structure at Airbus. He's also managed to roll out a fistful of important domestic social and economic reforms.