Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni's house raided by French police in political funding scam

London, July 4 (ANI): Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's home and offices have been raided by the French police.

In a dramatic new development in the political funding scandal, magistrates are investigating claims that the house staff of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L'Or?al cosmetics empire and France's richest woman, had handed over brown envelopes stuffed with cash to Sarkozy and his aides to finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign.

According to The Telegraph, police officers from Paris's financial brigade raided a town mansion belonging to Carla Bruni-Sarkozy where the former first couple lives, as well the law firm where Sarkozy used to be an associate, and the offices he was entitled to as the former head of state.

Sarkozy and his wife were away on holiday in Canada when a Bordeaux judge and a dozen fraud squad officers burst into their home in the chic 16th arrondissement, before moving onto the Arnaud, Claude and associates law firm which Sarkozy, a lawyer by training, partly owns, and his offices in rue de Miromesnil near the Champs-Elys?es.

The former UMP leader lost his presidential immunity on June 16, a month after leaving office, and there had been speculation that the judge would approach him as part of the illegal cash donation inquiry.

Several former employees of Bettencourt and her late husband Andr? have reportedly the told the judge that Sarkozy discreetly turned up at their mansion in Neuilly at least twice before his election in February and April 2007. The staff members include her former chauffeur, nurse and butler. (ANI)