A prominent Chinese business journalist was arrested while preparing for his nightly news program at China's state television network Friday night.

Rui Chenggang was conspicuously absent from the show, with only one anchor hosting and a second microphone vacant on the set.

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Minutes after he was taken from the set, studio employees at China Central Television (CCTV) learned he had been arrested by prosecutors in connection with the investigation going on into high-level corruption at the state broadcast network.

The show's producers were not informed that Rui would be taken away.

This week, CCTV ran a series of stories accusing another state-owned entity, the Bank of China, of funnelling billions of dollars out of the country.

The stories particularly mentioned the Bank of China's pilot program in Guangzhou aimed at helping Chinese move cash out of the country for investment emigration programs.

CCTV reported that the program allowed cash movements above the legal cap of US$50,000, amounting to money laundering.

Two months ago, CCTV financial news director Guo Zhenxi, Rui's immediate boss, was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes.

Earlier, a former vice president of the network was also detained for the same corruption investigation.

Rui and Guo are believed to be close friends, with Guo praising the latter as a star anchor and top financial reporter.

In 2009, Rui attracted a lot of criticism when he said he could represent the whole of Asia at a news conference with US president Barack Obama.

Among his recent interviews were with former US President Bill Clinton, US Treasury Secretary John Snow, the presidents Georgia and Nigeria, IAEA Chief Mohammed El Baradie, former GE chair and CEO Jack Welch, and Bill Ford, CEO of Ford Motors.

TagsCCTV, Bank of China, Rui Chenggang