Russian police have detained Russia's deputy finance minister Sergei Storchak in a criminal case.
Mr Storchak had been due to fly to South Africa yesterday for a meeting of finance ministers of the 20 most industrialised and important emerging economies but did not show up on the government's plane.
He is responsible for Russia's debt policy and oversees the €120 billion stabilisation fund.
Tass news agency quoted a source in the Finance Ministry as saying the FSB security police had searched Mr Storchak 's office in the ministry today.
A Finance Ministry delegation headed by Minister Alexei Kudrin is currently in Cape Town for the meeting of G20 central bankers and finance ministers this weekend to discuss the rebalancing of global currencies as the dollar weakens.
Mr Storchak is seen as a close associate of Mr Kudrin, Russia's economic policy tsar who was recently promoted to the rank of Deputy Prime Minister.
