A criminal investigation into former French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, for allegedly soliciting
secret campaign financing from France's richest
woman, has been dropped, judicial sources say.
Mr Sarkozy has been left off a list of those to appear for
trial over the so-called Bettencourt affair, they say.
He had denied visiting L'Oreal heiress Liliane
Bettencourt - alleged to be mentally frail - to solicit
cash.
The decision could leave Mr Sarkozy, 58, clear to
contest the 2017 election.
Although unpopular when he lost his attempt to be re-
elected in 2012, opinion polls now suggest he would
beat President Francois Hollande in a re-run.
He has hinted at a comeback, saying earlier this year
that he might have to return to "save" France from
economic disaster under President Hollande.
The possibility of a criminal case against him has,
therefore, gripped the media in France.
'Cash in envelopes'
Mrs Bettencourt's accountant, Claire Thibout, has said
she withdrew 150,000 euros (£125,000) in cash that
was to be passed to Mr Sarkozy's conservative UMP
party in the run-up to his presidential election victory
in 2007.
Individual campaign contributions in France are limited
to 4,600 euros annually.
Mrs Bettencourt's butler testified that Mr Sarkozy was a
regular visitor to her home during his 2007 campaign.
But Mr Sarkozy insisted that he only saw Mrs
Bettencourt once in that year.
The argument came to a dramatic head in March, when
a judge summoned both Mr Sarkozy and the butler for
a face-to-face encounter, after which preliminary
charges were filed against the former president.
He was charged with taking advantage of Mrs
Bettencourt, by accepting cash from her when she was
too frail to know what she was doing.
The ex-president forged a close friendship with Mrs
Bettencourt over the years
Mrs Bettencourt, now 90, has suffered from dementia
since 2006, the AFP news agency reports.
Ten people are still facing trial over the case, Le Monde
reports.
They include Mr Sarkozy's former campaign aide and
UMP treasurer - and later, the French budget minister -
Eric Woerth, Le Monde says.
Bettencourt staff say Mr Woerth visited the house
several times to pick up envelopes stuffed full of cash.
He denies doing so.
It had never been alleged that Mr Sarkozy personally
received money.
He still faces investigation in other cases - including
another related to his 2007 presidential run, in which it
is alleged that he received funding from Libya's
Muammar Gaddafi - which he strongly denies.
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