Sarkozy is motivated by hatred, says rival

FORMER French prime minister Dominique de Villepin yesterday accused president Nicholas Sarkozy of conducting a vendetta against him.

He hit out after being cleared of running a smear campaign against Mr Sarkozy following a long-running court case.

But a state prosecutor said he will appeal against the verdict.

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Jean-Claude Marin said the court's decision was "surprising." He had recommended an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 45,000 for Villepin.

"There hasn't been the last word in this affair," Mr Marin said, adding an appeal could be heard in late 2010 or early 2011.

The trial put a spotlight on the bitter rivalry between Mr Villepin and Mr Sarkozy, who was one of 40 plaintiffs in the complex case.

Mr Villepin quickly lashed out about the prosecutor's decision, saying it was a political move and Mr Sarkozy was behind it.

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"What this decision shows is that one man, Nicolas Sarkozy, the president, wants to persevere in his determination – in his hate"

rather than defend the justice system, he said.

Mr Villepin has suggested he could try to return to the world of politics, including a possible run for the presidency in 2012.

Allegations about the alleged smear campaign against Mr Sarkozy and others date back to 2004. At that time, both Mr Sarkozy and Mr Villepin were ministers in former President Jacques Chirac's cabinet, and both were strong contenders for presidency.

The tangled web began with a mysterious list purporting to show clients who held secret accounts with Luxembourg clearing house Clearstream, including Mr Sarkozy and other political and business figures.

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Mr Villepin was given the list and he asked a retired general to investigate it. It turned out to be a hoax, but was by then it was already circulating in political and legal circles. Charges said Mr Villepin should have alerted judicial authorities to the scam earlier, and he was tried for complicity in slander and forgery.

Several other defendants were convicted on various charges in the case, which also delved into old international arms deals, offshore bank accounts and the French aviation and defence industries.