French police question L'Oreal heiress Bettencourt

Paris: In a scandal that has shaken the French government, police questioned L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, France's richest woman, on Monday, about suspected tax evasion and money laundering.

The 87-year-old was expected to be asked to explain two undeclared Swiss bank accounts and an island in the Seychelles, which were mentioned on secret recordings made by her former butler, which have been published in the French press.

She may also have been quizzed about allegations by a former bookkeeper that she and her late husband made big illegal cash donations to conservative politicians, including Labour Minister Eric Woerth for President Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign.

While other people involved in the case were questioned at the headquarters of the Paris financial crimes division, some of them in custody, Bettencourt gave answers "as a witness" at her own villa in the wealthy Paris suburb of Neuilly, lawyer Georges Kiejman said.

Woerth has denied receiving any illegal money and rejected accusations of a conflict of interest over his wife's job with Bettencourt's wealth manager while he was Budget Minister in charge of tax affairs and treasurer of the ruling UMP party.