A judge asked Interpolto track him downafter he failed to turn up in court for a corruption investigation.

He lives in neighbouring Chile, where the authorities have previously suggested they would cooperate with any extraditionrequest.

Mr Menem, 73, is accused of fraudulent use of public funds during his 10 years as president from 1989.

Vendetta claims

He was allegedly involved in the embezzlement of up to m during the building of two prisons.

Mr Menem is also facing investigation into undeclared funds held in Swiss bank accounts, and charges of arms trafficking to Ecuadorand Croatiaduring his time in office.

Jorge Urso, the federal judge investigating the embezzlement case, has called in the former president for questioning on three previous occasions, but Mr Menem failed to turn up each time.

He claims he is the victim of a political vendetta orchestrated by the government of Nestor Kirchner, who defeated him in Argentina's last presidential elections.

Brought stability

The ex-leader - who is married to a former Miss Universe and has an infant son - has vowed not to go before a judge again, having been imprisoned three times before.

"If I carry on like that, I'll spend my life in prison," he has said.

The BBC's Elliot Gotkine in Buenos Aires says when Mr Menem first became president in 1989, he was seen as something of an economic saviour, bringing stability to a country buffeted by hyperinflationand rising unemployment.