Israeli police said on Wednesday they were questioning fugitive Russian tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky in an investigation of suspected money-laundering at Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest bank. Gusinsky was not in Israel when police launched the inquiry earlier this month, arresting nearly 20 bank employees in the suspected laundering of hundreds of millions of dollars at a Tel Aviv branch of Hapoalim.
Spokeswoman Merav Meiri said the Israeli police's international crimes unit was questioning Gusinsky in a town outside Tel Aviv. She would not elaborate.
"He is being investigated ... the subject of the investigation is money laundering," she told Reuters.
The Haaretz newspaper Web site said that police had intercepted Gusinsky after he arrived in Israel late on Tuesday night, following a lengthy absence since before the probe began.
Police had earlier searched through files at one of Gusinsky's companies in Israel.
Gusinsky owns 27.19 percent of the Maariv group, which publishes one of Israel's top-selling newspapers. He has not made any comment on the Israeli investigation.
The former media baron was forced to surrender ownership of an independent Russian television channel in 2001 and is wanted by Moscow on allegations of fraud. No charges have been filed against Gusinsky.
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