Dec 29 (Reuters) - Iron pellet producer Ferrexpo Plc said on Thursday its controlling shareholder, Kostyantyn Zhevago, will leave the board with immediate effect, following the billionaire's detention by French authorities.

Zhevago, who holds 50.3% of Ferrexpo's shares, was arrested and detained in France on Tuesday at Ukraine's request on suspicion of embezzlement and money-laundering linked to the disappearance of $113 million from the now bankrupt lender Finance & Credit Bank. (Reporting by Amna Karimi in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)