Russian prosecutors open abuse of office case against officials at Economics Ministry

Russian prosecutors open abuse of office case against officials at Economics Ministry

The licenses allowed the companies to cut the customs duties they paid by nearly 1 billion rubles (US$37 million; Ђ29 million), the General Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on its Web site, the AP reports.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Development was not immediately available for comment. Raids and the confiscation of documents were underway in connection with the investigation, the statement said.

Separately, the statement said that prosecutors had cracked a domestic appliance and computer smuggling ring that involved officials from the customs committee.