Russia's chief prosecutor, Yuri Skuratov, has said that economic crime has cost Russia nearly nine hundred million dollars eighteen billion roublesthis year.

Speaking at the opening of a meeting of senior law enforcement officials in Moscow, Mr Skuratov said that most of the crimes, ranging from tax evasion to embezzlement, were committed with the help of corrupt officials.

The crimes, he said, were stopping the normal operation of banks, making fortunes for businesspeople in the shadow economy and creating a budget deficit.

Russian officials say about forty percent of government-owned companies are controlled by criminal groups.