Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, has gone on trial in Paris accused of illegal campaign financing. 

The case, which started today, was meant to begin in mid-March but was adjourned on the opening day because one of the lawyers fell sick with COVID-19. 

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, denies the charges that a PR firm created fake invoices to hide overspending on his failed re-election bid in 2012. 

The  action has been called the "Bygmalion" trial, named after the public relations consultancy that is alleged to have drawn up fake bills to mask the illegal financing. 

Sarkozy, who was not present in court, is accused of spending at least $52.2 million on his presidential campaign, which is almost double the legal limit of $27.4 million. 
 

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The overspending was allegedly concealed by the use of companies such as Bygmalion. 

Thirteen other people are being tried alongside the former president. 

Jerome Lavrilleux, Sarkozy's deputy campaign chief in 2012 and one of the 13 co-accused, has publicly acknowledged overseeing the rerouting of funds paid to Bygmalion to camouflage the election costs. 

Lavrilleux says he acted on his own initiative. Two co-founders of Bygmalion are also on trial. 

 

One of them, Guy Alves, has publicly acknowledged the fake billing. In 2014, a lawyer for Bygmalion said the company acted under political pressure. 

Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing and said he was not aware of the false invoicing process. He faces up to a year in jail and a fine of more than $4,000 if convicted. 

The trial is taking place at the main Paris Criminal Court and it is scheduled to run until June 22. 

It is the former head of state's second trial of 2021, after the 66-year-old was found guilty in March of corruption and influence-peddling. 

He was given a three-year jail term, of which two years were suspended. He is appealing against that verdict.