Medvedev Intervenes in Two Agencies' Turf War
President Dmitry Medvedev has donned the mantle of a mediator in a turf war between the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office, meeting with the heads of both agencies in his Gorki residence, Kommersant reported Friday.
The Thursday meeting was linked to the committee's probe into an illegal gambling ring in the Moscow region that investigators claim operated under the protection of prosecutors, the report said.
Prosecutor General Yury Chaika requested the talks after investigators announced plans to question his son Artyom over the case, the report said.
Neither the Kremlin nor the law enforcement agencies have commented on the meeting.
Medvedev warned the parties not to go public about the ongoing investigations anymore to prevent future damage to the agencies' reputations, Kommersant reported, citing an unidentified Kremlin source.
No charges will be filed against Artyom Chaika unless there is "cast-iron proof" of his involvement, the source added.
The president made a similar demand in February, shortly after the spat flared, but both agencies ignored it.
The Investigative Committee, which was a part of Prosecutor General's Office until being separated in January, says the gambling case has been in the works since 2009.
Since February, investigators have arrested the suspected mastermind of the gambling ring, which made $5 million to $10 million a month, and opened cases against several Moscow regional prosecutors. The Prosecutor General's Office has closed most of the cases.
The Public Chamber and the State Duma's Security Committee plan to host a public discussion of the conflict soon, chamber member Anatoly Kusherena said Thursday.
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