MOSCOW, August 13 - RAPSI. Master-Bank has filed a lawsuit against a number of media services that reported that its Vice President Yevgeny Rogachyov was detained in April for his alleged involvement in the illegal cashing of funds.

The Moscow Commercial Court will hear the lawsuit on October 8. Law enforcement authorities said Rogachev was a member of a criminal gang consisting of bankers whose participants illegally cashed over 2 billion rubles ($62.9 million). Businessmen, who evaded taxes via illegal schemes, and criminals, who laundered the money, were the gang's clients.

Earlier, Master-Bank told the PRIME business news agency that Rogachev was the head of a corporate business department at the bank and resigned on March 1.

Banking malpractices have been uncovered in a number of other banks. Investigators have revealed that their management used fly-by-night companies to transfer funds under false payment orders to different accounts for subsequent cash withdrawal. The scheme operators charged a fee of 3 to 7 percent for their services.

Law enforcement authorities conducted 29 searches in Master-Bank, Zolostbank and Strategy bank on March 14.