Three Allies of Sarkozy Charged in Fraud Probe

Three allies of French former president Nicolas Sarkozy were charged on Saturday in connection with a probe into the financing of his 2012 presidential campaign.

The so-called "Bygmalion affair" concerns invoices for events staged by PR company Bygmalion during the campaign that were allegedly charged to Sarkozy's UMP party rather than the campaign coffers.

Former top aide Eric Cesari, described as the "eyes" of the former president, party financial director Fabienne Liadze and former communications chief Pierre Chassat were charged with forgery and abuse of trust, a legal source told AFP.

Sarkozy announced two weeks ago that he would run for the leadership of the conservative UMP, seen as clear positioning for a presidential bid in 2017.

The former president has always denied any wrongdoing in the Bygmalion affair, saying he had not heard of the PR company until long after the unsuccessful 2012 campaign.

According to a source close to the inquiry, the UMP picked up the tab for around 18.5 million euros ($23.3 million) in expenses that should have been billed to the Sarkozy campaign.