PARIS — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces trial starting Monday on accusations of receiving illicit financial support from Libya for his successful presidential campaign in 2007, marking the latest chapter in a series of legal troubles he has encountered.

This trial comes shortly after France’s top court upheld his previous corruption conviction last month.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, withdrew from active politics in 2017, but he has consistently maintained his innocence regarding all charges against him.

The specific allegations involve Sarkozy and 11 co-defendants accused of obtaining millions in unauthorized financing from the regime of the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for his election efforts.

The investigation into this matter began in 2013, with Sarkozy facing serious charges, including passive corruption, illicit campaign financing, embezzlement of Libya’s public funds, and criminal conspiracy.

The trial is set to conclude by April 10.

Investigative authorities have scrutinized allegations that Gadhafi’s government covertly agreed to supply Sarkozy with as much as 50 million euros (approximately $51.6 million) for his campaign— a sum exceeding the legal fundraising limit at that time, hence breaching French electoral laws.

The inquiry gained momentum following claims from French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who asserted in 2016 that he had personally delivered cash suitcases from Libya containing 5 million euros (nearly $5.1 million) to Sarkozy and his chief of staff.

Takieddine later retracted his statements, prompting Sarkozy to request the closure of the investigation.

After taking office, Sarkozy hosted Gadhafi with grand ceremonies in France and later took a decisive role in NATO’s military actions that contributed to the downfall of Gadhafi’s regime in 2011.

In 2023, French judges brought preliminary accusations against Sarkozy related to alleged efforts to mislead magistrates and obstruct the Libya financing investigation.

Financial prosecutors suggested that he might have improperly influenced a witness, referring specifically to Takieddine.

Further complications arose when Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Sarkozy’s spouse and a former supermodel, faced preliminary charges last July for her suspected involvement in attempts to sway Takieddine.

She is currently under judicial supervision, which prohibits her from contacting anyone involved in the case, with the exception of her husband.

The legal entanglement deepened in December when France’s highest court confirmed an appellate court’s ruling that found Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling during his tenure as president.

He received a one-year prison sentence, from which he can serve at home with an electronic monitoring device under French legal provisions.

Sarkozy has announced plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Previously, he was convicted in 2021 for attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for classified details about a legal inquiry involving him, a scandal uncovered through wiretapped conversations linked to the Libya financing investigation.

Additionally, in February of last year, an appellate court reaffirmed Sarkozy’s conviction for illegal campaign financing related to his unsuccessful 2012 reelection bid, sentenced to a year in prison, half of which was suspended.

Sarkozy is alleged to have exceeded the legal campaign spending limit of 22.5 million euros significantly in that election, which he lost to Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.

He has categorically denied all accusations and intends to appeal to France’s highest judicial authority.