By Lara Holmes

Jean-Claude Mas,the owner of a French breast implant maker that sparked a safety scare, faces charges of involuntary injury, his lawyer says.

He said Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas, 72, had been freed on bail of 100,000 euro ($130,000).

In 2010, France banned PIP implants made with the low-grade silicone, amid fears they could rupture and leak.

Up to 400,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have been given implants.

Mr Mas has been under investigation since he revealed in a police interview last year that PIP ordered employees to hide the unauthorized silicone when inspectors visited its factory.

It was thought that he would be investigated for manslaughter but although Mr Mas is still considered a suspect, his lawyer told Reuters news agency that on the charge of involuntary homicide [manslaughter], the judge decided that for now there is no link.

A lawyer representing women who had been fitted with PIP implants said he welcomed the arrest of Mr Mas: This is a relief. It's come late, but at least it's happened.

Mr Mas told police in an interview last year that PIP had deceived European safety inspectors for 13 years. But he has insisted they posed no threat to health and attacked the French authorities for offering to pay for their removal because it put women through a surgery risk.

He also said he had nothing to say to women facing surgery for their removal and that victims had only filed complaints to make money.