Among 12 others facing trial over the alleged Libyan financing are heavyweights such as Sarkozy’s former right-hand man, Claude Gueant, his then-head of campaign financing, Eric Woerth, and former minister Brice Hortefeux.

The investigation was sparked by revelations from the investigative website Mediapart, which published a document purporting to show that Gaddafi agreed to give Sarkozy up to €50 million (US$54 million).

A lawyer for anti-corruption body Sherpa, Vincent Brengarth, applauded the “extremely rigorous work of investigating authorities” which he said “opens the way for an absolutely historic trial”.

Sarkozy declined to comment when asked by Agence France-Presse on Friday, but he has repeatedly denied the accusations and repeated during a television interview on Wednesday that he had not embezzled a “single centime”.

The lawyer-turned-politician, who married singer and model Carla Bruni while in office, faces charges of corruption, criminal association, illegal campaign financing and conspiracy in misusing Libyan public money.

In their deposition, prosecutors say a “corruption pact” was sealed between Sarkozy and Gaddafi under which Gaddafi would benefit from “diplomatic, economic and legal compensation” in return for the money.

Lacking hard evidence of bank transfers or cash, they aim to prove their accusations based on “a series of consistent statements from former Libyan officials”.

Sarkozy is also being investigated over possible attempts to pressure crucial prosecution witness Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman who suddenly retracted his incriminating testimony in 2020.

Takieddine had claimed he delivered three suitcases stuffed with a total of €5 million (US$6.15 million) in cash in 2006 and 2007.

He also said that the Crimean peninsula, annexed from Ukraine in 2014, would now remain Russian and that “any return to the way things were before is an illusion”.

He and his prime minister, Francois Fillon, enjoyed friendly relations with the Kremlin leader.

Sarkozy faces a separate investigation into possible potential influence-peddling after he received a payment from Russian insurance firm Reso-Garantia of €3 million in 2019 while working as a consultant.

Although he became the first ex-president to be taken in to police custody, he is not the first to be convicted of corruption.

His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was given a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 for embezzlement and misuse of public funds during his time as mayor of Paris.

Despite his two convictions, Sarkozy currently faces no threat of going to prison and can serve his sentences by wearing an electronic bracelet.