Taped phone calls suggest the former French leader wanted to offer a judge a job in Monaco in return for information on a case. Sarkozy has denied any wrongdoing and believes judiciary are waging a vendetta against him.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will go on trial Monday over allegations of corruption and influence peddling.

The 65-year-old has faced several investigations since his 2012 election loss to Francois Hollande, only for the charges to be dropped before reaching court.

If convicted, Sarkozy could be jailed for up to 10 years and receive a maximum fine of €1 million ($1.2 million). He has denied any wrongdoing.

The centre-right politician, who was elected in 2007, tried for years to get this case thrown out. He becomes the first modern head of state in France to actually appear before judges.

His predecessor, the late Jacques Chirac, was convicted in 2011 for embezzling public funds during his time as a mayor of Paris, but he never took the stand due to health problems.