Live from outside the courtroom in Paris, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy appears before the criminal court on Thursday, September 25, as judges rule on charges of alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, faces accusations of corruption, illegal campaign financing, and criminal conspiracy, allegedly receiving millions from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He strongly denies wrongdoing.

The case, considered one of France’s biggest political financing scandals, follows a decade-long investigation and involves 12 other defendants, including former ministers. Prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence.

It comes after Sarkozy’s earlier conviction in the separate corruption and influence-peddling case, for which he served part of his sentence under electronic monitoring.