FRANCE - JUSTICE: Former Prime minister Dominique de Villepin is set to appear in court for a second time, to answer charges he tried to smear his rival Nicolas Sarkozy. The decision by a public prosecutor to appeal Villepin's acquittal is raising questions of political interference in the case. Also at issue is the role of investigating magistrates. Independent from the government, they long had a reputation for taking on complex cases without fear of political interference.