A former aide to the Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, who fled to Poland to escape corruption charges, says he's been given "political refugee" status there.

The former advisor, Sergei Stankevich, left Russia after being investigated for allegedly accepting a bribe from the promoters of a concert in Moscow's Red Square in 1992, when he was deputy mayor.

He denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Stankevich was arrested in Poland in 1997, but the Polish courts rejected the Russian charges and Russian demands for his extradition were also turned down.

The Polish interior ministry has refused to comment on his current status.

Political refugee status would enable Mr Stankevich to retain his Russian citizenship.

He has said he wants to return to Russia to clear his name after Mr Yeltsin's term in office ends in the year two-thousand.