A French court acquitted former Prime Minister Edouard Balladur of corruption charges of using kickbacks from an arms deal while sentencing its former defense minister to a suspended prison sentence, AFP reported.

Edouard Balladur, 91, has been accused of diverting illegal commissions from arms deals to his 1995 presidential campaign.

Former Defense Minister François Leotard, was found guilty of complicity in the misuse of assets and sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence and a € 100,000 fine.

None of them were present at the sentencing.

Balladur and Leotard were charged in 2017 with complicity in the misuse of corporate assets in connection with the sale of submarines to Pakistan and frigates to Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 1995.