Questions threaten Fillon president bid

French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon and his wife were questioned for five hours by police investigators on Monday as part of a probe into allegations that Penelope Fillon had been paid for fake jobs.

The allegations, which Fillon rejects, are sapping the popularity of the former prime minister and could shake up the April-May presidential contest, for which he has so far been the clear favorite.

Fillon said in a statement that he and his wife had provided investigators with information that would help "establish the truth on the work carried out by Mrs Fillon."