His lawyer told the media that Mr Soumare was summoned by police over his letter to the president about the alleged donation.

In the letter, Mr Soumare had asked the president whether he had donated 12m euros ($12.7m; £10.6m) to a "French political figure" whose party is distinguished "by hatred and rejection of others".

The Senegalese government on Tuesday denied making any financial donation to the leader of France's National Rally, Marine Le Pen, who visited Mr Sall on 18 January.

It "rejected and condemned" the insinuations and described them as "cowardly and unfounded", according to a statement.