Popular former French president Jacques Chirac was convicted of graft on Thursday but escaped jail when he was handed a two-year suspended sentence for running ghost workers at Paris city hall. The 79-year-old statesman, who was excused from court on medical grounds, was found guilty of influence peddling, breach of trust and embezzlement between 1990 and 1995 when he was mayor of the French capital. The verdict marked the end of a long legal drama.Thursday’s tough sentence was a surprise. Even state prosecutors had called for Chirac – who still polls as one of France’s most popular figures.
