Sarkozy scandal: France's Hollande denies influencing justice system

PARIS – French leader Francois Hollande forcefully denied having influenced the justice system in a corruption scandal surrounding Nicolas Sarkozy after the former president claimed he was the victim of a set-up.

Nicolas Sarkozy AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE

“I not only did not do it (influence the justice system) but I couldn’t even have thought about it as it goes so against the conception of democracy and also the spirit of my responsibility,” he said in a television interview on France’s national day.