Sarkozy hits back at 'political' corruption charges

Nicolas Sarkozy hit back on July 2 after being charged with corruption, denying he broke the law and suggesting his political enemies were interfering with the French justice system.

"I have never committed any act contrary to the values of the republic or the rule of law," Sarkozy said after he was charged on three corruption-related counts that threaten to torpedo his hopes of a political comeback.

"I have never betrayed the confidence" of the French people, he said in a televised interview - his first major appearance since he lost the 2012 presidential election to Francois Hollande.

Sarkozy decried what he called "political interference" in the case - a suggestion that opponents like the ruling Socialists were behind his legal woes. "In our country, which is the country of human rights and the rule of law, there are things that are being organised," Sarkozy said.

He also said there had been an "intention to humiliate" in judges ordering he be taken into formal custody on July 1 - an unprecedented move against a former French leader.

Sarkozy was defiant when asked about his political future, saying: "There is no question of renouncing (politics) for me... When it comes to your country, you have duties." Sarkozy said he would announce in late August or early September whether he planned to run for the leadership of his centre-right UMP party in the autumn - a potential springboard to retaking the presidency in 2017.

Sarkozy, 59, was hit July 2 with charges including corruption and influence peddling after he was quizzed for 15 hours by judges investigating an alleged attempt to interfere in judicial proceedings in another case. After the interrogation in a Paris police station, Sarkozy was put before a judge in...