Four years after she performed at a private concert for Libya's Gaddafi family, singer Nelly Furtado has announced that she will donate the $1m (£615,500) fee to charity. Furtado's decision has intensified the spotlight on other pop stars, including Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Usher, who performed at parties for the sons of Muammar Gaddafi.

"In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy," Furtado wrote on Twitter on Sunday night. "I am going to donate the $." Furtado's announcement is no small thing – money aside, it is tied up in both international and show business politics. For unknown reasons, Furtado's tweet was deleted on Monday morning but reinstated in the afternoon. According to Furtado's label, the Maneater singer will soon reveal which charity will be the beneficiary of the Gaddafi concert fee.

However, other stars who performed for the Gaddafi family in recent years have refused to comment on whether they will donate their fees or not. "People put a big paycheck on the table, and people don't consider where the money is coming from, or what they're at least passively endorsing," suggested David T Viecelli, a booking agent for Arcade Fire and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. "If it's true that Muammar Gaddafi's son says, 'I've got $50m, come and play for my buddies', I really think you have to say no to that. Given what we know about Gaddafi and what his rule has been about, you have to willfully turn a blind eye in order to accept that money."