Chief judge Jean-Michel Gentil, according to Le Monde, decided to press preliminary charges because he felt he had established that Mr Sarkozy had visited the Bettencourts several times in 2007; meeting Mrs Bettencourt on these occasions and that Mr Sarkozy was aware of how illicit funds were being transferred to his campaign treasurer Eric Woerth from the heiress’s wealth manager, Patrice de Maistre. Both Mr Woerth and Mr Maistre are among 17 under investigation.