IMF chief Christine Lagarde is summoned to court

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has been summoned by a French court to answer questions over alleged abuse of office during her time as France's finance minister, her lawyer has said.

Ms Lagarde is to be questioned before a magistrate in May over her role in the awarding of financial compensation to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008.

Ms Lagarde, who took over as IMF chief in 2011, denies any wrongdoing.

Speaking in Washington, she said the investigation was ''not going to change my focus, my attention, and my enthusiasm for doing the work that I do."