Paris - French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has been placed under formal investigation over alleged diversion of public funds, prosecutors say. The centre-right contender is suspected of paying hundreds of thousands of euros to his family for work they may have not done. He denies wrongdoing, but had
earlier said he would quit the presidential race if placed under investigation. Until recently, he was the favourite to win the elections in April and May. The prosecutor had been conducting a preliminary probe into allegations that his wife Penelope Fillon received more than €900,000 (£764,000) for a "fake job" as parliamentary assistant to her husband and his successor over several years. He has denied any wrongdoing in a case dubbed "Penelopegate". Mr Fillon had initially been expected to see the judges on Wednesday and not Tuesday.