Swiss Prosecutor Opens Money Laundering Probe Into Yanukovich - Assets Frozen

ZURICH (Reuters) - A Swiss prosecutor has opened a money laundering investigation into ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich and his son Oleksander, the prosecutor's office in Geneva said in a statement on Friday.

"A penal investigation for severe money laundering is currently being conducted in Geneva against Viktor Yanukovich and his son Oleksander," the prosecutor's office said in the statement, adding it had opened the probe on Thursday.

It said prosecutor Yves Bertossa and the police had searched the office of a company owned by OleksanderYanukovich on Thursday morning and seized some documents.

Switzerland said on Thursday it would order banks to freeze any funds in Swiss banks found to be linked any Yanukovich funds.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Alison Williams)

ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss government ordered the freezing of the assets of 20 Ukrainians, including ousted president Viktor Yanukovich and his son Oleksander, Switzerland's financial markets authority FINMA said in a statement on Friday.

The government published a list of the 20 people concerned on its website. It includes Viktor Yanukovich and his son Oleksander.

FINMA said the Swiss government had made the decision to block the assets on Wednesday and the measures would come into force on Friday at noon.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Alison Williams)