There were over 400 attempts to illegally launch criminal cases in Russia in 2009, the Russian prosecutor general said on Monday.

"Last year, on the initiative of prosecutors, investigative bodies annulled 427 illegal resolutions to launch criminal cases," Yury Chaika told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta government daily.

He added that there were also many cases where investigators illegally refused to launch criminal cases relating to corruption.

"Measures are being taken," he said.
sections: Society