The President called on prosecutors to improve the quality of their work, especially in supervision of investigations. It is unacceptable to have situations where lengthy investigations are made and people are kept in custody only to have the accusations against them simply fall apart in court, Mr Putin said.
Coordinating the various law enforcement agencies’ efforts to fight crime is one of the Prosecutor’s Office’s main priorities, the President said, noting that crime has a destructive effect on all areas of public life, from the economy to morals.
In another priority area – the fight against corruption – what is needed is systematic and professional work rather than the occasional case that makes a lot of noise. Mr Putin said that the prosecutors should make use of all the legal powers they have today to fight corruption.
The President called on the Prosecutor’s Office to be more active in protecting citizens’ interests and supervising the work of state officials. Mr Putin noted that cases of negligence by officials are quite common, but that supervision of their work is still inadequate.
The President thanked everyone who works for the Prosecutor’s Office for their services and emphasized that the prosecutors today genuinely protect the lawful rights and interests of citizens and the state. Mr Putin also noted that the Prosecutor’s Office now has the responsible task of improving the effectiveness of its role as public prosecutor and raising the prestige of the profession of prosecutor.