Mayor with presidential ambitions held in Russia

MOSCOW, July 19 (Reuters) A Russian mayor who plans to run in the presidential election appeared in court today charged with corruption after masked police raided his home and dragged him away in his underwear.

The detention of Alexander Donskoi, mayor of the far northern city of Arkhangelsk, followed a long investigation.

The local prosecutor said Donskoi was being charged with using 4 million roubles (157,200 dollars) in public funds to pay for bodyguards to protect family members.

Wearing only a white sweatshirt and his underwear, he was carried from his apartment by masked officers in a raid witnessed by local media.

Donskoi, who suffers from high blood pressure, had received hospital treatment recently, but was at home when the raid was carried out yesterday.

He came to national prominence when he announced last year that he planned to run as an independent in the presidential election next March, when Russians will choose a successor to President Vladimir Putin.

''Donskoi was detained and charged with the abuse of employment duties. Now he's being kept in a pre-trial detention centre,'' said the local prosecutor's spokesman.

At a brief court appearance today, during which he was placed in a cage, Donskoi was ordered to be held in custody.

Donskoi has been involved in a long-running feud with his region's governor.

Putin has personally appointed governors in regions throughout the vast country to try to curb the power of local politicians.

Numerous rows have erupted at a regional level across Russia in a series of power struggles.

After the short hearing, the case was adjourned when one of Donskoi's lawyers failed to appear, said the spokeswoman for the Arkhangelsk Department of Legal Affairs, Irina Penchinkina.

REUTERS ARB VC1522