The former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Pavlo Lazarenko, has been charged by a court in Switzerland following allegations of corruption.

An investigating magistrate in Geneva ordered Mr Lazarenko to be held in custody while investigations continued into his financial affairs.

Mr Lazarenko was arrested on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Basle, while travelling on a Panamanian passport.

He is wanted in Ukraine for allegedly siphoning off millions of dollars of public funds into Swiss bank accounts.

Mr Lazarenko was Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997 and now heads a movement opposed to President Leonid Kuchma.