Chirac found guilty on corruption charges

Paris (CNN) -- Former French President Jacques Chirac was found guilty Thursday on corruption charges stemming from his time as mayor of Paris and given a two year suspended sentence, a court in the French capital announced.

He was convicted of breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds and illegal use of influence, the Paris Court's press office said.
 It was uncertain whether Chirac, 79, would appeal the verdict.

"We have to talk about it with the person concerned," said his attorney, Georges Kiejman. "We'll know tonight if he accepts this decision or if on the contrary he wants to appeal."

Chirac did not attend the trial, which was held from September 5-23, due to his medical condition, which doctors described as a "severe" and "irreversible" neurological problem.

An aide to French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Elysee, or presidential palace, would not comment on the verdict, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.




French ex-president Chirac's trial

Francois Hollande, the presidential candidate from the Socialist party, said Thursday "justice has been done, and it had to be done, so that there would be no sense of impunity."
However, he said, he did have some sympathy for Chirac.
"Although the sentence is severe, it is both criminal and moral, and it affects him," Hollande added, according to Le Monde.

Ecologist party presidential candidate Eva Joly declared that justice has been done.

"No citizen is above the law, if we want to reestablish trust in the justice system and democracy," she said in a statement on her website.

She also called on Chirac to resign from France's Constitutional Council, a body that decides if proposed laws are constitutional. Chirac and other former French presidents automatically serve on the council.

Jerome Karsenti, of the anti-corruption group Anticor, lauded the ruling as "a historic decision and extremely important for the future of democracy. It's a message to all politicians."

Chirac was mayor of Paris, from 1977 to 1995, before he became president.

He had immunity from prosecution during the 12 years he was president of France, from 1995 to 2007.

He was accused -- along with the other defendants -- of using public money to pay people to work for his political party, the RPR, and to pay others to perform jobs that did not really exist.

Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe was sentenced in December 2004 for his role in the affair.

After Chirac left office as president, he made it known he was available to answer any questions on the matter. He always denied wrongdoing.

The city of Paris dropped a civil suit against Chirac after he and his party paid back about $3 million.
Some in France praised the court's decision Thursday.
"Finally, the justice of the Republic has come," said a post from Pierre-Marie Muraz on Le Monde's website.
It shows that "no, we are not a banana republic, but a democracy, and proud of it!"

Others were not pleased.

"Who are we kidding? Let's review: Politician and union leaders have flouted the country's rules for years, enriching themselves and betraying the trust of their citizens, and when 20 years later we relax, we hand out a penalty or a suspended sentence, a certain political class and the complacent media congratulate themselves on the exemplary justice!" posted someone with the user name "pas dupe" -- which means "not fooled" in English.

By the CNN Wire Staff

December 15, 2011 -- Updated 1552 GMT (2352 HKT)