Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow Region legal officials suspected of aiding in the operation of illegal gambling should be tried according to the law.
Moscow Region prosecutor Alexander Mokhov, deputy prosecutor Alexander Ignatenko and several others have been suspended after police found evidence that they "hushed up" an illegal gambling ring.
"Laws should be equal for all," Medvedev said during a Kremlin meeting on Monday. "Those who break the laws should be held accountable regardless of the position they hold."
The president said any attempt to exert pressure on the court is "unacceptable," and that it was too early to jump at any conclusions.
He warned that those who used pressure would lose their jobs.
Three people, including gambling boss Ivan Nazarov, and five police officers have been arrested and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Illegal casinos have mushroomed across Russia since a law came into force in July 2009 banning gambling everywhere except in four remote zones.
MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti)
