A scandal over apparent efforts made by Jacques Chirac and his former prime minister to dash the presidential hopes of his rival Nicolas Sarkozy gathered pace yesterday after evidence emerged suggesting that the current interior minister was aware of the alleged plot. Michèle Alliot-Marie, 61, defence minister when Mr Chirac was president, is expected to be questioned and perhaps placed under investigation after new evidence suggested she was aware of the attempt to smear Mr Sarkozy and failed to inform him. Michèle Alliot-Marie was defence minister when Jacques Chirac's was president The so-called Clearstream affair surrounds allegations that several high-profile...