French premier 'will not resign' over scandal

French prime minister Dominique de Villepin today said he would not resign, despite a growing political scandal.

He denied any role in the affair, the latest in a series of major problems for his conservative government.

Villepin is accused of asking an intelligence agent to investigate interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy for alleged bribes.

The scandal comes a year before presidential elections in France, in which Sarkozy hopes to be the governing party’s candidate.