Moscow, 19 April 2000 (RFE/RL) - Russia's Federation Council has fired suspended Prosecutor-General Yuri Skuratov at President-elect Vladimir Putin's request. The upper house of parliament approved the dismissal 133-10. Skuratov was investigating alleged Kremlin corruption when former President Boris Yeltsin tried to fire him in January of last year. But the Federation Council, which must approve such dismissals, refused three times.
Skuratov was then suspended amid allegations that he accepted the services of prostitutes in exchange for blocking criminal investigations. Putin is expected to propose a new prosecutor later today. Observers say acting Prosecutor-General Vladimir Ustinov is considered the likely candidate.