Fraud squad officers and an investigating magistrate searched the Paris home of Mr Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on Tuesday morning, as well as the office he moved into since losing his re-election bid in May. Reports of a raid at the offices of a law firm where he is an associate were denied yesterday morning.

Magistrates are investigating claims that house staff of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L’Oréal cosmetics empire and France’s richest woman, handed over brown envelopes stuffed with cash to Mr Sarkozy and his aides to finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign.

On holiday in Canada since Monday, Mr Sarkozy has made no public comment on the raids. But Le Parisien quoted him as telling friends in recent days: “I know they’ll come looking for me. Nothing will come of it all.”