The money was intended to get the Franco-Lebanese Ziad Takieddine to withdraw his accusations against Nicolas Sarkozy. This figure was carried out as part of the judicial investigation into suspicions of payments to the former head of the French state.
The money was mainly mobilized by the financier Pierre Reynaud, who is already convicted of fraud, an advertiser, and a Lebanese close to the latter. The investigation is still ongoing, with nine people charged with witness tampering, criminal association or organized fraud.