A leading Russian businessman has offered a reward of up to one-hundred-thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest of those who killed the liberal politician, Galina Starovoitova.

The banker, Mikhail Fridman, said that failing to solve the crime would deal an enormous blow to the credibility of state institutions.

The police have not yet established a motive for the killing, which happened last week.

Earlier, President Clinton called the murder of Mrs Starovoitova an assault on Russia's efforts to build a society based on the rule of law.