Sarkozy: No deal to protect Chirac from prosecution

Leading French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and the office of President Jacques Chirac both denied a news report yesterday alleging that the two men had struck a deal to protect Chirac from prosecution once his judicial immunity runs out next month.

Sarkozy, on a campaign stop north of Paris, said the report in weekly Le Canard Enchaine was not "based on any form of reality." The presidential Elysee Palace called the report unfounded, and declined to comment further.

The satirical weekly, which is also known for breaking investigative stories, alleged that Chirac's support for Sarkozy in the election was offered in exchange for Sarkozy pledging to sponsor a bill that would spare Chirac from prosecution.