A Paris court is due to hand down its verdict in the trial of former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.He is accused of plotting to discredit the then interior minister and now president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
The charges, which Mr de Villepin denies, date back to a judicial investigation in 2004.It is alleged that he tried to manipulate the corruption investigation to spoil Mr Sarkozy's chances of winning the 2007 election.
After a dramatic, and often explosive, month-long trial, Dominique de Villepin will now find out if he is to be "hanged from a butcher's hook" as political rival Mr Sarkozy once threatened would be his fate or whether he will emerge completely exonerated, as he says he expects.
The former French prime minister is accused of trying to smear the French president's name five years ago, in the days when both men were manoeuvring to succeed Jacques Chirac as president. Nicolas Sarkozy's name appeared on a list sent to the former French prime minister of top politicians and businessmen who were wrongly linked to an illegal bank account in Luxembourg.
It was alleged those named on the list had received bribes from international arms sales. Dominique de Villepin is accused of failing to stop the conspiracy. Prosecutors have called for him to receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of $70,000 (50,000 euros).
The former French minister denies any wrongdoing and is hoping to rekindle his political career in time to re-challenge Nicolas Sarkozy in the next presidential elections in 2012.
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