Nicolas Sarkozy was taken for questioning over spending in his 2012 re-election campaign
French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy
has been placed under formal investigation in a probe into his campaign
funding, prosecutors say.
It relates to spending in his
unsuccessful 2012 bid for re-election when his campaign costs were more
than twice the legal limit.Mr Sarkozy, 61, was questioned all day on Tuesday by magistrates before being informed he was under investigation.
He has repeatedly denied knowledge of the overspending.
He has said he was not involved in the details of his campaign finance.
Judges are investigating claims that the party faked invoices worth 10m euros (£7.8m; $11.1m) during the 2012 presidential campaign to cover increasing costs.
Mr Sarkozy is the head of France's centre-right Les Republicains political party (previously the UMP) and was the president of France from 2007 to 2012.