Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vigorously denounced a “plot” he said was staged by “liars and crooks” on Thursday at a Paris trial over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the Libyan government led by former leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Sarkozy, who has already been convicted twice, in separate cases, since leaving office, goes on trial Monday. He is accused of accepting illegal campaign financing, in an alleged pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.