AFP | Arnaud Mimran (R) arrives with his lawyer Jean-Marc Fedida (L) at the Paris court.

A French court has convicted and jailed a tycoon over a 283 million-euro carbon tax scam after a trial in which he testified he made unrelated campaign donations to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Advertising Read more

Arnaud Mimran was sentenced Thursday to eight years and a 1 million-euro fine for the 2008-2009 fraud, which resulted in a major tax shortfall for French authorities.

The Paris court gave prison terms ranging from one to eight years for 10 other defendants. All were convicted of aggravated fraud and money-laundering. One person was acquitted.

Half were tried in absentia and are believed to be in Israel.

Netanyahu's office denied any campaign payments and said Mimran lawfully contributed in 2001 to a fund used while Netanyahu held no office. The Israeli attorney-general is investigating.

(AP)

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe