IMF chief Christine Lagarde key witness in Tapie case

A French court has decided not to place the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, under investigation over a payout made when she was finance minister.

Ms Lagarde was instead made an assisted witness in the case, meaning she will be called upon to testify but is not directly under suspicion.

Some 400m euros (£342m; $516m) was paid to disgraced tycoon Bernard Tapie in 2007.

Speaking after a second day of questioning Ms Lagarde insisted she had always acted in the interests of the state.