Police in Switzerland have detained a former Ukrainian prime minister, Pavlo Lazarenko, who's been accused of corruption during his term of office between 1996 and 1997.

He was picked up when he cross the border by car from France, using a Panamanian passport.

Prosecutors in Geneva say they'll question him on Fridayabout alleged money laundering.

The investigating judge said bank accounts linked to Mr Lazarenko had been blocked.

Press reports said Mr Lazarenko and a colleague in the main Ukrainian opposition party, Hromada, have been accused of embezzling twenty million dollars of public money.

He's denied any wrongdoing, and his party says it's a smear campaign.