Minister of Postal Service, New Technology, and Communications Albert Pahimi Padacke of Chad

In a separate telephone interview, Padacke said a meeting was taking place to decide whether to formally charge them.

Padacke said the prisoners would have to be escorted by French and Chadian police accompanied by lawyers for the families of the children who were at the centre of the row.

But Chadian Justice Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke said in N'Djamena that France had not presented an extradition request.

At the moment we haven't even received a request," Chadian Justice Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke said in the capital N'Djamena yesterday.

Sarkozy has said he would prefer to see the detained French tried in France, but Chad's Justice Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke said his country's judiciary was able to handle the case.