Medvedev Sacks Ten More Police Generals

W300

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sacked 10 more high-ranking interior ministry officials in an effort to reform Russia's bloated police force, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Nearly all the sacked officials hold the rank of major general. All were chiefs of regional interior ministry departments except one who was the head of the ministry's law institute, according to a Kremlin statement.

The Kremlin did not give a reason for their dismissal but the Interfax news agency, citing a ministry source, said the sacking was part of the plans to overhaul the interior ministry, adding the generals had reached retirement age.

Last week the Kremlin dismissed another six top interior ministry officials.

Medvedev, who says corruption is a major problem eating away at the national police, ordered a 20 percent cut in staff at the interior ministry in late 2009.

Senior staff are expected to go through a reassessment process and officers in the slimmed down force would get bigger salaries.