THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF RUSSIAN OIL CONCERN YUKOS HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF EMBEZZLEMENT AND MONEY LAUNDERING, INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY REPORTED THURSDAY ACCORDING TO DPA. A LAWYER FOR VASILY ALEKSANIAN SAID HIS CLIENT WAS ALREADY BEING QUESTIONED BY THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. HIS APARTMENT AND COUNTRY HOUSE WERE SEARCHED BY POLICE WEDNESDAY. ALEKSANIAN WAS APPOINTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF YUKOS LAST WEEK AFTER PREVIOUSLY HEADING THE COMPANY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT. YUKOS, ONCE RUSSIA'S LARGEST OIL COMPANY, HAS BEEN CRIPPLED WITH BILLION DOLLAR TAX BILLS AND NOW FACES BANKRUPTCY. IN A MOVE SAID TO BE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED BY THE KREMLIN, YUKOS'S FORMER CEO MIKHAIL KHORDORKOVSKY WAS FOUND GUILTY OF TAX FRAUD CHARGES LAST YEAR AND SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS IMPRISONMENT. ---SP 18 03 LOCAL TIME 15 03 GMT