A defiant Nicolas Sarkozy told a Paris court on Thursday that allegations of illegal Libyan financing of his successful 2007 presidential bid were a "conspiracy" and that not a single cent of Libyan cash would ever be found in his campaign.

Former French president Nicholas Sarkozy went on trial January 6 for allegedly accepting some €50 million from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his successful 2007 presidential bid . The