Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday complained that he was the victim of six years of "slander", in his first remarks to the court at his corruption trial.
Mr Sarkozy, 65, last week became France's first modern head of state to appear in the dock, on trial on charges of corruption and peddling influence.
The right-wing Mr Sarkozy, who also faces trials in two other investigations, is accused of offering judge Gilbert Azibert a plum retirement job in exchange for inside information on an inquiry into his campaign finances.
"I don't accept any of the slander that has been levelled at me over the past six years," France's leader from 2007 to 2012 told the Criminal Court in Paris.
He could face a sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of €1 million ($1.2m) if convicted.
Mr Azibert, 73, and Mr Sarkozy's lawyer, Thierry Herzog, are also on trial.
Mr Sarkozy has been battling a barrage of investigations since losing his immunity from prosecution after his failed 2012 re-election campaign.
The hearings in his first trial opened on Monday after the court threw out a request by Mr Azibert's lawyers to have it postponed for medical reasons.
His defence said he had health problems that made public appearances risky during the Covid-19 outbreak.
But a medical exam ordered by the court determined Mr Azibert was fit enough to attend his trial.
Prosecutors say Mr Sarkozy and Mr Herzog tried to bribe Mr Azibert with a job in Monaco, in return for information on an inquiry into claims Mr Sarkozy received illicit payments from late L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt during his 2007 presidential campaign.
Wiretaps of conversations between Mr Herzog and Mr Sarkozy, who used a secret phone bought under the alias of "Paul Bismuth", purportedly reveal the two men making plans to have Mr Azibert help to sway the inquiry.
Mr Azibert was a senior adviser at France's highest appeals court at the time. He never got the job in Monaco.
Mr Sarkozy, meanwhile, was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Bettencourt affair.
But investigators are still probing allegations that he received millions of euros in funding from Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi towards his 2007 election campaign.
Mr Sarkozy is also accused of fraudulently overspending on the 2012 race.
Only one other French president, Mr Sarkozy's political mentor Jacques Chirac, has been put on trial after leaving office, although he was excused from attending his 2011 corruption trial due to ill health.
Mr Chirac received a two-year suspended sentence over the creation of ghost jobs at Paris town hall, which were used to fund his party when he was the city's mayor.
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets