France’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that wireta-pped conversations could be used in a corruption case against Nicolas Sarkozy, in a blow to the former President’s plans to run in next year’s ele-ctions. The highly-anticipated ruling comes as the 61-year-old was gearing up to launch a campaign to win back his former office in the 2017 presidential election, in a bid already dogged by several legal woes.
The court ruling opens the way for investigating judges to decide whether to take the case to trial, which they will do in the coming months.
Mr Sarkozy, who was President between 2007 and 2012, became the first former head of state to be taken into custody when he was charged with corruption, influence peddling and violation of legal secrecy in July 2014.
The former President’s legal team has attempted to suppress the recordings.
