YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The bill "On Prosecutor's Office" and the legislative package of making amendments and additions to number of laws proceeding from it discussed at the previous regular four-day session were adopted in first reading at the February 20 special NA sitting convened on the initiative of the government. In the words of the main reporter, RA Minister of Justice David Haroutiunian, the bill "On Prosecutor's Office" specifies Prosecutor's Office's powers, and Prosecutor's rights and responsibilities are stipulated more minutely in connection with execution of each power. This especially refers to control over legality of fulfilment of sanctions and other means of compulsion, instituting a lawsuit on protection of state interests and relations connected with the criminal sphere. Some changes are introduced to the system of Prosecutor's Office. A Prosecutor becomes a much more independent figure especially in the sphere of criminal procedure. D. Haroutiunian said that after the transitional period, probably, in June of current year, the institution of investigator will be liquidated at the Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor's Office will no longer hold preliminary investigation. RA Police and National Security Service will assume the main burden of carrying out preliminary investigation. The Minister did not exclude creation of bodies carrying out preliminary investigation in another structures too, in the future, in particular, in customs and tax services. And the Prosecutor's Office will carry out the main power laid on it: will exercise control over preliminary investigation and investigation. The structure of Prosecutor Office's system in principle will be kept unchanged, but a change will be made in the structure of Prosecutor General's Office. This is conditioned by the circumstance that the same Prosecutor will will empowered to examine the case completely, the same Prosecutor will be responsible for the criminal prosecution stage on a concrete case, for control over preliminary investigation and investigation, for defence of charge at the court, for bringing an accusation.

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