Russian investigators charge Rosbank CEO-Ifax

The chief executive of Societe Generale's Russian unit, Vladimir Golubkov, and another executive at Rosbank were charged on Thursday for taking bribes, the Interior Ministry was quoted as saying.

Golubkov and senior vice president, Tamara Polyanitsyna, who was caught taking millions of roubles to her boss, were detained on Wednesday and a criminal case against them was later opened, Interfax news agency quotes a ministry spokesman as saying.

Several representatives from the Interior Ministry declined to answer questions on the report.

The Rosbank CEO was held on Wednesday "on suspicion of receiving illegal compensation" totaling 5 million roubles ($159,600), the Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Golubkov was also suspected of demanding a bribe of $1.5 million from a businessman to grant a loan, the statement said. Polyanitsyna was held on suspicion of being an intermediary.

Dmitry Kharitonov, Golubkov's layer, told Interfax on Thursday that the Rosbank CEO denies the charge. ($1 = 31.3252 Russian roubles)

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; editing by Elizabeth Piper)