French ex-President Jacques Chirac, and presidential hopeful and former PM Dominique de Villepin were given $20m by African leaders, partly to finance election campaigns, a lawyer alleges.The lawyer, Robert Bourgi, said he was personally involved in handing Mr Chirac briefcases full of cash.Both former leaders deny the allegations and say they will sue Mr Bourgi, a former aide, for defamation.The allegations come seven months before France's presidential election. From / BBC