French officials say former President Nicolas Sarkozy was in police custody on Tuesday - being questioned about his campaign financing in the 2007 election.

France opened a judicial inquiry in 2013 into allegations that Sarkozy's successful election bid benefited from illicit funds from the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy served as president from 2007 to 2012. He has always denied the accusations and dismissed the Libyan allegations as "grotesque". A former minister and close ally of Sarkozy was also being questioned by police on Tuesday in relation to the same Libya investigation.