A Paris court found former French President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty on Thursday of criminal conspiracy, in a case which has seen him stand trial for allegedly accepting illegal campaign financing from the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to secure his 2007 election victory, writes Euronews.

However, the court acquitted Sarkozy on Thursday of passive corruption, embezzlement of Libyan public funds and illegal election campaign financing.

The criminal conspiracy charge relates to his involvement in a group that prepared a corruption offence between 2005 and 2007, the court said.

After an extended detailing of its ruling, the court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison, an immediate five-year ban on any public function, and a fine of EUR 100,000. The prison sentence comes “with deferred effect”, meaning Sarkozy does not have to begin serving his prison sentence immediately.

The 70-year-old Sarkozy, who held France’s highest office between 2007 and 2012, can appeal the verdict. He could also request conditional release because of his age.