The security chief of the French Accor group, which owns the hotel where Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of trying to rape a maid, was on the phone to President Nicolas Sarkozy's palace within minutes of learning of the alleged assault, he has confirmed.

However, Rene-Georges Querry dismissed claims of a conspiracy against Strauss-Kahn.

''I merely relayed information that was already public in New York,'' he told Le Journal du Dimanche, adding that this was four hours after the maid made her sex attack claims to hotel management.

Accor sources said it was not unusual for the group to contact the government in the event of an international emergency.