Sarkozy 'Used Public Funds for Private Polls'

France's former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of misusing public funds to pay for private opinion polls on issues such as his relationship with his wife, former supermodel Carla Bruni.

According to a report in the UK's Guardian newspaper, anti-corruption group Anticor claims that certain polls initiated by Sarkozy when he was in office were of 'private interest', and their funding should therefore should be regarded as embezzlement of state funds.

An article in Le Monde reported that topics covered by these 'private polls' included the pregnancy of a former minister, Sarkozy's courtship and marriage to Bruni, and then her capacity to represent France as its First Lady.

Sarkozy has also been accused of cronyism, following allegations that one contract for polling worth more than EUR 3m over five years, was given to a firm owned by one of his advisers, while other advisers benefited from polling contracts which had not been put out to tender.

Anticor estimates that Sarkozy spent EUR 9.4m on hundreds of polls ordered during his presidency. The group previously lodged a complaint about these polling habits, but Sarkozy then enjoyed protection under presidential immunity.