Former French minister Rachida Dati faces corruption trial over Renault-Nissan payments

Rachida Dati, former French justice and culture minister, has gone on trial in Paris accused of taking money from Renault-Nissan in return for political influence.

• Dati's trial opened in Paris, with prosecutors alleging she accepted €900,000 from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary as illegal lobbying while a member of the European Parliament.
• Prosecutors say a 2009 legal-services contract was used to disguise payments for lobbying, an activity banned for European Parliament members.
• Former Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is tried in absentia in the same case and denies wrongdoing.
• If convicted, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison, a €450,000 fine, and a five-year ban on holding public office.