MOSCOW Russian President Boris Yeltsin relieved Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov of his duties on Friday for the period of a criminal investigation and asked parliament to remove him permanently. Yeltsin's decision, enforced by decree, was part of a long-running battle between the Kremlin and Skuratov in which the president has been trying to oust the prosecutor. The Kremlin gave no details of the criminal case against Skuratov, who was dragged into a sex scandal last month, but Russian news agencies said it involved allegations of abuse of power.

It was not clear who had launched the case. The Kremlin press service said Yeltsin had sent a letter to Yegor Stroyev, the head of the Federation Council, or upper house, seeking Skuratov's dismissal in connection with his deeds, discrediting a prosecutor, and the criminal case opened against him. Interfax news agency quoted Skuratov as saying Yeltsin's decree on his temporary removal was absolutely unlawful.

This whole case against me had been manufactured, this is clear as daylight, Skuratov said, adding that only his own office could have opened a criminal case, of which he knew nothing. (Reute)