Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly denied all allegations that he accepted millions of euros in illegal campaign funding from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

“I am accused without any physical evidence,” Sarkozy said in his statement to investigating judges, according to Le Figaro newspaper, which published the text online.

He said he has been “living the hell of this slander” since 2011 and denounced the accusations as lies.

Nicolas Sarkozy is driven away from the police station in Nanterre (Francois Mori/AP)
Sarkozy is driven away from the police station in Nanterre (Francois Mori/AP)

Sarkozy, 63, on Wednesday was handed preliminary charges of illegally funding his 2007 campaign, passive corruption and receiving money from Libyan embezzlement after being questioned for two days by anti-corruption police.

Investigators are examining allegations that Gaddafi’s regime secretly gave Sarkozy 50 million euros (£43 million) for his successful 2007 presidential election bid.