MOSCOW, December 2 - RAPSI. President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a law adopting a special financing procedure for the security of witnesses in criminal cases, including under the government witness protection program, the Kremlin press service reported on Friday.

According to the Interior Ministry, this program currently applies to 1,754 individuals.

The new financing procedure is similar to the one used for operational and search activities, but for some specific features: information on the opening and maintenance of accounts, cash services and payments authorization is confidential.

The law is intended to maintain the secrecy of any protective efforts and ensure the promptness of decision-making by the federal executive authorities.
The expenses will be controlled in the same way as in the operational and search activities.