MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - Yury Chaika, Russia's justice minister and presidential nominee for the post of the country's prosecutor general, said Monday that the Prosecutor General's Office can be effective in fighting corruption.
Vladimir Ustinov, Chaika's predecessor, was removed from office in early June and many commentators have since said the move was in part linked to accusations that his agency had blocked an investigation into corruption focusing on two Moscow furniture stores.
But Chaika was upbeat at a session of the upper house of parliament's committee on legal and judicial issues. "The Prosecutor General's office has enough political will and functions to fight corruption," he said.
Chaika spoke against establishing specialized bodies to fight corruption among high-profile officials. "We all are experts in setting up bodies, but what is more complicated is how they work. Everyone should do their work in good faith," he said.
However, the prosecutor-elect criticized the quality of legal experts' training in Russia. He said a revision of legal education could be necessary. "We have many legal experts, but the quality of their work is poor," he said.
Chaika's candidacy for prosecutor general was supported Monday by the Federation Council's committee on legal and judicial matters. The Federation Council will consider his candidacy at a session June 23.
