THE wealthmanager of France's richest woman has denied giving illegal cash donations to Labor Minister Eric Woerth, ahead of the questioning of the L'Oreal heiress and the minister by police later this week.

The allegation was made by a former bookkeeper for Liliane Bettencourt, 87, main shareholder in cosmetics giant L'Oreal, and has led to probes into alleged tax evasion and money laundering, transfixing France and embarrassing President Nicolas Sarkozy's government.

The bookkeeper, Claire Thibout, told police this month she had been involved in withdrawing 150,000 euros (US$200,000) in cash to be given to Woerth in unmarked envelopes as a donation to Sarkozy's 2007 electioncampaign. The president and minister have both denied receiving illicit donations.

When asked in an interview in the Journal du Dimanche whether he had handed over the 150,000 euros to Woerth in January 2007, Patrice de Maistre said: "I have never dealt with their (Bettencourt family) personal wealth," he said. "The accusations of Madame Thibout are simply ridiculous."

Maistre said he had originally met Woerth in 2006 after Bettencourt's late husband asked him to find out how to finance Sarkozy's UMP party. Woerth also faces allegations that he used his influence to secure a position for his wife with a company that manages part of Bettencourt's fortune.

"Eric Woerth never asked me to hire his wife, just as the Bettencourts have never told me who to hire," he said.

• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)
• manager [´mænidʒə] n.经理；管理人；干事 (初中英语单词)
• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
• election [i´lekʃən] n.选举；选择 (初中英语单词)
• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)
• journal [´dʒə:nəl] n.日记；日报；杂志 (初中英语单词)
• finance [´fainæns] n.财政；金融 vt.资助 (初中英语单词)
• campaign [kæm´pein] n.战役；行动 vi.从军 (高中英语单词)
• originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)
• illegal [i´li:gəl] a.不合法的，非法的 (英语六级单词)
• bookkeeper [´buk,ki:pə] n.记帐员，簿记员 (英语六级单词)