French ex-President Jacques Chirac, and presidential hopeful and former PM Dominique de Villepin were given $20m by African leaders, partly to finance election campaigns, a lawyer alleges. According to BBC news, the lawyer, Robert Bourgi, said he was personally involved in handing Mr Chirac briefcases full of cash. Both former leaders deny the allegations and say they will sue Mr Bourgi, a former aide, for defamation. The allegations come seven months before France\'s presidential election.