JUST days before a crucial French presidential primary, former President Nicolas Sarkozy is facing fresh allegations that he received millions of euros in illegal campaign financing from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi’s regime.

    An investigation into the case, involving funding for Sarkozy’s successful 2007 presidential campaign, has been under way since 2013.

    In a video interview with the investigative website Mediapart released Tuesday, a French-Lebanese businessman, Ziad Takieddine, said he delivered three suitcases from Libya, containing 5 million euros (US$5.6 million) in cash, to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff and campaign director, Claude Gueant.

    Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012 and is seeking nomination as the conservative candidate in next year’s presidential vote, has always denied allegations that he took covert funding from Libya.

    Takieddine’s statement came just days before Sunday’s first round of a primary election to pick the center-right’s candidate for the 2017 presidential election, and risked overshadowing the last days of Sarkozy’s campaign.

    Sarkozy is trailing in the polls behind the current favorite, Alain Juppe, who was prime minister from 1995 to 1997 under former President Jacques Chirac.

    (SD-Agencies)