Moscow prosecutors sacked

Are Moscow police tough enough on crime?

The Russian federal authorities have sacked Moscow's top prosecutor and his deputy after accusing them of "doing nothing" to curb crime in the city.

The dismissals follow a damning report by the office of the federal prosecutor-general, saying the Moscow government had covered up and failed to act on thousands of crimes, including many murders.

Moscow chief prosecutor Mikhail Avdyukov was given a severe reprimand and was appointed to an advisory post.

However his dismissed deputy has accused the central government of carrying out a vendetta and seeking scapegoats for rising crime.

The BBC's Nikolai Gorshkov in Moscow says federal prosecutors have painted a scary picture of how law and order have been flouted in the Russian capital.

Moscow prosecutor's office does not take any steps in most cases, effectively doing nothing to solve crimes Federal spokeswoman

According to their report, 9,000 crimes went unregistered to improve statistics.

The month-long inquiry alleged that in some instances, Moscow police identified mutilated bodies but registered the deaths as accidental.

The report also says drug dealers were given a free reign in parts of Moscow.

"A check has established that the Moscow prosecutor's office does not take any steps in most cases, effectively doing nothing to solve crimes," said Natalya Vishnyakova, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor-general.

The most recent example is the failure to solve a number of murders of young women which the public believes to be the work of a serial killer.

Fighting back

Fifteen Moscow law enforcement officers have been put under criminal investigation as a result of the enquiry.

But city prosecutors are fighting back, accusing the federal authorities of carrying out a vendetta against the Moscow government.

They say Mr Avdyukov and his deputy, Yuri Sinelshchikov, were punished for resisting attempts by the federal office to interfere with sensitive investigations.

Mr Sinelshchikov was sacked after publicly complaining in an open letter to president Vladimir Putin that the investigation had "focused only on the negatives".

He also told Vremya Novostei newspaper that the reshuffle was part of a political campaign by central authorities ahead of December's parliamentary elections.