Corruption trial against Jacques Chirac kicks off

Chirac, 78, is accused of embezzlement, breach of trust and conflict of interest, based on allegations linked to his tenure as Paris mayor -- before he became president from 1995 to 2007.

Chiraq is the first French head of state to go on trial since the country's Nazi-era leader was exiled, though he did not show up for a first day expected to be dominated by procedural issues.

While a prison term is reportedly seen as “highly unlikely”, if convicted, Chirac could in principle be jailed for up to 10 years and faces fines of up to €150,000.

Judge Dominique Pauthe opened Monday's trial by calling the case's 10 defendants.

When Chirac was named, lawyer Jean Veil said he would be representing the former president. The judge stumbled over Chirac's birth date before continuing the proceedings, in which he read the charges.

A last-minute protest by one of Chirac's co-defendants has come up over procedural issues, but the court isn't expected to rule on that motion until at least Tuesday.

Chirac is not expected in court until Tuesday. The trial is expected to go on for a month.

The proceedings are taking place in the 11th Chamber at Paris' central courthouse on the Ile de la Cite island in the Seine River, not far from Notre Dame cathedral. The chamber, now devoted to financial affairs, was where Marie Antoinette and others were tried during the French Revolution.

Investigating magistrates say Chirac masterminded a scheme to have Paris City Hall pay for work that benefited his political party while he was mayor. One allegation is that the head of a top French labor union had his bodyguard and driver improperly paid for by the city.

So far, Chirac has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and insisted that France had no judicial rules at the time that laid out party financing, and that the expenses were approved by the city council.

For years, Chirac benefited from presidential immunity to avoid legal proceedings. Some claims were suspended at the time, allowing the statute of limitations to invalidate many allegations against him.