Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to sink deeper into trouble Wednesday after fresh evidence emerged of an alleged attempt to influence judges involved in one of a string of corruption cases the former French president is embroiled in.

Investigative news website Mediapart published what it said were extracts from tapped phone conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer, who at one point refers to two top judges as "bastards".

Mediapart said it got hold of the summaries of seven phone conversations tapped by judges, which apart from confirming revelations Sarkozy allegedly perverted the course of justice also suggest he received a tip-off from a mole that judges were planning to raid his offices in connection with the Libya allegations.

Judges started tapping Sarkozy's phones last year after opening a formal investigation into allegations that he accepted up to 50 million euros ($70 million) in cash from Gadhafi for his 2007 election campaign.

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