Dmitry Rybolovlev, Seller of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, Held by Police in Corruption Probe

AS Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev was detained by police for questioning on Tuesday as part of an investigation into corruption and influence peddling.

Le Monde report that the Russian tycoons luxury home La Belle Epoque had also been raided by police.

 AS Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev

Rybolovlev has been under examination for over a year in relation to a long-running dispute with Swiss Art dealer Yves Bouvier, and whether he had sought to influence Monaco law enforcement officials.

The 51-year-old alleges that Bouvier overcharged him on 38 pieces of art purchased over the course of a decade.

In doing so, Rybolovlev claims the dealer has duped him out of $1 billion, but the dealer denies any wrongdoing.

He is now suing Bouvier in Monaco, Singapore and Switzerland in an attempt to recoup the funds he says he has lost.

The Monaco prosecutor confirmed to Reuters an operation linked to the investigation but declined to say if Rybolovlev was being questioned by police.

Asked about the Le Monde report, Rybolovlev's lawyers in Russia declined to comment on whether he was being questioned and said: "We request that the presumption of innocence in relation to Mr Rybolovlev is strictly respected."

All those involved have denied wrongdoing.

The Russian businessman, who earned his multi-billion-dollar fortune through the sale of two Russian fertiliser producers, bought U.S. President Donald Trump's Palm Beach mansion in 2008 for about $100 million.

The questioning of an individual under investigation is a standard procedure. Being under investigation in Monaco is not equivalent to being charged. It is the first step in an investigation.

The feud between Rybolovlev and Bouvier led to the resignation in September of the head of Monaco's judicial services after Le Monde daily wrote about connections between Rybolovlev and Monegasque justice officials.

Rybolovlev spent more than $2 billion buying 38 masterpieces from Bouvier between 2003 and 2014.

In 2017, Rybolovlev sold Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Christ "Salvator Mundi" for $450 million at a Christie's auction, making it the most expensive painting ever sold.

Ryboloblev has also sued Sotheby's for $350 million, alleging the auction house helped Bouvier defraud him. Sotheby's has described the allegation as "desperate" and without merit.