President Dmitry Medvedev has started his crusade against corruption in Russia. He has told legislators to seek and destroy loopholes in federal and regional laws which foster corruption. The statement came during a meeting with Prosecutor General Yury Ch

Medvedev claims that loopholes are sometimes introduced into legislation on purpose, so they can be exploited by corrupt officials.

“We must address these issues so that the laws we adopt both at regional and federal levels meet the current legislation and can be checked for loopholes that may be used for corrupt purposes,” he said.

Russia's Prosecutor General Yury Chaika says his office has already checked regional legislation in a number of the country's constituencies.

“We have identified about 100 by-laws that help corrupt officials. They set barriers for small and middle-size businesses. Officials were free to distribute benefits to whoever they choose,” he said.

Dmitry Medvedev has also signed an order that will help prosecutors fulfill their duties and keep an eye on small-to-medium sized business.

“I have signed an ordinance which will contribute to that,” Medvedev said.