薩科齊捲入政治獻金案 住所遭突擊搜查

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's home and offices were raided by French police in a dramatic new development in a political funding scandal.

法國警方近日搜查了前總統尼古拉-薩科齊和夫人卡拉-布呂尼的住所和辦公室。薩科奇涉嫌捲入一起政治獻金醜聞，而這起案件如今又有了戲劇性的最新進展。

Magistrates are investigating claims that house staff of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L'Oreal cosmetics empire and France's richest woman, handed over brown envelopes stuffed with cash to Mr Sarkozy and his aides to finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign.

據稱，法國最富有的女富豪、歐萊雅集團女繼承人莉莉亞娜-貝當古的家傭曾經交給薩科奇和他的助手幾個裝滿現金的棕色信封，以資助他成功贏得2007年的總統大選。

Officers from Paris's financial brigade raided a town mansion belonging to Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy where the former first couple live, as well the law firm where Mr Sarkozy used to be an associate, and the offices he is entitled to as former head of state.

巴黎金融調查組突然對薩科奇和布呂尼居住的一處宅邸、薩科奇曾經做過合夥人的律師事務所、以及擔任總統時的辦公室進行了搜查。

Mr Sarkozy lost his presidential immunity on June 16, a month after leaving office, and there had been speculation that Bordeaux judge Jean-Michel Gentil would approach him as part of the illegal cash donation inquiry.

薩科奇自今年6月16日開始失去總統豁免權，也就是他卸任後一個月。當時已有猜測認爲波多爾地區的讓-米歇爾-詹蒂爾法官會聯繫他進行非法政治獻金醜聞的審問。

The judge is also investigating whether the aged billionaire's entourage is guilty of "abuse of weakness" – taking advantage of her waning mental capacities for financial gain.

該法官還在調查年老億萬富翁的這位隨從是否“濫用弱勢”，利用貝當古年老體衰來獲取經濟利益。

Eleven people have already been charged in the case.

已有11人在這起案件中遭到指控。

Mr Sarkozy and his wife were away on holiday in Canada when judge Gentil and a dozen fraud squad officers burst into their home in the chic 16th arrondissement, before moving onto the Arnaud, Claude and associates law firm which Mr Sarkozy part owns, and his offices in rue de Miromesnil near the Champs-Elysées.

當詹蒂爾法官和十幾名犯罪調查組工作人員進入薩科奇的宅邸搜查時，薩科奇夫婦正遠在加拿大度假。這座宅邸位於時尚的第16行政區。隨後調查人員又搜查了薩科奇入股的阿爾諾-克勞德律師事務所，以及他位於愛麗捨宮附近米羅梅尼爾街的辦公室。

Several former employees of Mrs Bettencourt and her late husband André have the told the judge that Mr Sarkozy discreetly turned up in person to their mansion in Neuilly at least twice before his election in February and April 2007. These staff members include her former chauffeur, nurse and butler.

貝當古幾位前僱員以及她已故的丈夫安德烈曾告訴法官，在2007年2月和4月大選期間，薩科奇曾至少兩次親自前往貝當古位於納伊的住所，而且行事十分小心。這些僱員包括貝當古的前司機、護士和男管家。

French law limits individual donations to political parties to 7,500 euros per person per year and 4,600 euros during political campaigns. Only 150 euros may be given in cash.

法國法律規定，每人每年向政治黨派的捐獻金額不得超過7500歐元，而在大選期間，則不得超過4600歐元。其中現金不得超過150歐元。

Mr Sarkozy is potentially facing questioning in a separate probe into who ordered French intelligence services to unlawfully identify the source of journalists investigating the Bettencourt scandal.

法國情報部門還就貝當古醜聞一案被媒體曝光的消息來源進行了違法調查。法國當局將就情報部門受誰指派進行獨立調查。薩科奇也將面臨有關此事的質詢。