French former minister lashes out at paedophilia rumours

French former culture minister Jack Lang has slammed a former spy chief who mentioned his name in connection with accusations of paedophilia, following the controversy over former education minister Luc Ferry's mention of rumours of a child-sex orgy in Morocco.

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"It's unreal, there is no rhyme nor reason to it," said Lang on a visit to the South Korean capital, Seoul, Sunday. He denounced  people he said enjoyed wallowing "in the mud and the mire".

He was reacting to an interview on French radio station Europe 1 at the weekend, during which former domestic intelligence chief Yves Bertrand was asked what he knew about allegations concerning a former minister at a paedophile orgy in Marrakesh.

Bertrand said that he had no proof to support the rumours of the orgy but that at the time he had informed "two political friends of Jack Lang" about them.

It was the first time the Socialist politician's name had been mentioned publicly in connection with the allegations.

The two political friends he mentioned, Lionel Jospin and Daniel Vaillant, respectively the prime minister and interior minister at the time, immediately denied that they were told of the rumours.

The allegations that a former minister took part in a paedophile orgy involving young boys in Marrakesh were made last month by philosopher-politician Luc Ferry in an appearance on Canal Plus television station to discuss privacy laws.

France has been gripped by debate over whether the media protect politicians and other influential people since the arrest of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn in New York on sexual assault charges.