Even in cases with conspicuous evidence, like license numbers of military vehicles transporting detainees who are eventually disappeared or found executed, the procuracy (which both investigates and prosecutes crimes) has failed to conduct investigations that would lead to indictments of those responsible.
"I believe there is no more significant indicator of the dangers facing foreign investors than the Khodorkovsky case itself, because the state procuracy has shown its willingness to depart from rule of law," said Robert R. Amsterdam, with the Toronto law firm Amsterdam and Peroff, who represents two of Mr. Khodorkovsky's Yukos colleagues who were arrested earlier this year.
Procuracy, Russian Prokuratura, in the former Soviet legal system, a government bureau concerned with ensuring administrative legality.
The fact that the Procuracy could not make a binding decision did not necessarily prevent it from being an effective organ for securing administration according to law.
In 1864, however, the Procuracy was relieved of its responsibility for supervising administration, its functions being confined to judicial matters, such as acting as public prosecutor in all criminal cases and conducting them on behalf of the government and the law.
Since the Procuracy was not a court, it could not make a binding decision.
The Procuracy was abolished in November 1917 but revived in 1922.
Finally, the position of the Procuracy was laid down in a union law of May 24 , 1955 and a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet made on April 7 , 1956
The third system for ensuring administrative legality, called the Procuracy, was founded in Russia by Peter the Great in 1722, who intended it to be the "eye of the tsar".
