Moscow's Basmanny Court ruled on Friday to hold the head of the CIS anti-organized crime bureau, Lt.Gen. Alexander Bokov, who is suspected of embezzling $46 million.

The official, whose 2009 registered annual income was one million rubles (about $33,000), is suspected of extorting $46 million in 2005 from a Russian businessman for assistance in buying a majority stake in a transport company, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.

"The businessman handed at least $4.5 million to Bokov's accomplices in 2006, but Bokov didn't make any moves on the deal," the spokesman said.

A criminal case was launched on the basis of Russian Security Service's (FSB) documents given to the investigators.

The court has ruled to hold Bokov behind bars for two months until the trial, instead of releasing him on a 1-million-ruble bail (about $33,000).

According to FSB information, Bokov has close ties not only with police and state officials, but also within criminal circles.

Investigators said the corrupt police official was likely to move abroad as his relatives had foreign bank accounts.

Bokov has denied all the charges, saying the facts against him were all unsubstantiated.

Over the last few years, Russia has seen two high-profile corruption cases, including one with Lt. Gen. Alexander Bulbov, a former senior drug control official, who received in 2010 a three-year jail term for illegal schemes with his retirement payments and abuse of office.

In 2006, another top official from the Emergencies Ministry, Gen. Vladimir Ganeyev, was charged with organizing a criminal group, abuse of office and falsifying investigation documents over a period of six years and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti)