Jacques Chirac in four-hour sleaze quiz

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A judge interviewed him for more than four hours in the investigation into a party financing scandal which dates back to his time as mayor of Paris.

The inquiry concerns a fake jobs scheme used to finance Chirac's conservative party, Rally for the Republic.

The questioning marks a sobering point in a political career which stretches over four decades.

It is the most serious in a string of potential legal problems facing Chirac now he no longer has presidential immunity.

France is waiting to see if the former head of state, who was succeeded by Nicolas Sarkozy in May, will face trial in this or other cases in which he has been implicated.

Chirac, 74, was questioned as a material witness in his Paris office by investigating Judge Alain Philibeaux.

This means he is not formally under investigation but could later face charges.

Chirac's lawyer, Jean Veil, who was present at the questioning, said: "The former head of state explained himself very completely, very calmly, in a climate of great courtesy and simplicity."

Chirac has written a column in Le Monde newspaper saying that France passed several laws from 1988 to 1995 as it attempted to clarify rules on party financing.

He wrote: "In a few years, we had to pass from a system of customs and arrangements to a regime clearly laid out by the law.

"In a spirit of clarity and responsibility, I want to remind the magistrates of this context, without which nothing can be understood."

He also said he pushed to create a body to guarantee transparency in his party's financing.

Chirac denies any wrongdoing.