Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vigorously denounced a “plot” he said was staged by “liars and crooks” on Thursday at a Paris trial over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the Libyan government led by former leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, on trial charged with accepting illegal campaign financing, told a court Thursday he had never accepted any money from the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The former French president has faced several legal cases since leaving office, but accusations that he received money for his 2007 election from Libyan authorities have been particularly damaging.