'Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's election bid'

Saif al-Islam

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170262.html

The son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi claims Tripoli funded the election campaign of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi says the Libyan regime has details of the 2007 transfer.

"We funded it and we have all the details and are ready to reveal everything," he said, threatening to publicize the details.

Gaddafi's son made the remarks while expressing outrage over Sarkozy's recent stance against the Libyan regime, demanding that the French president return the money.

"But he's disappointed us," Saif al-Islam said.

"Give us back our money. We have all the bank details and documents for the transfer operations and we will make everything public soon."

The move seems aimed at punishing Sarkozy for throwing his weight behind revolutionary forces in Libya.

The funding scandal could further deteriorate the already declining approval ratings of the French president.

A recent opinion poll showed that more than seven out of ten French nationals are unhappy with Sarkozy's performance. This has been Sarkozy's worst approval rating since he took office.

Meanwhile, thousands have been killed in Gaddafi regime's continuing crackdown on opposition protesters ever since the Libyan uprising began in mid-February.

The developments come as popular revolutions continue to sweep Western-backed autocratic regimes in the Middle East and North Africa.