For the first six months of 2015, the courts handed down prison sentences 3498 accused of corruption-related crimes. This is almost 9% more than in the first half of 2014, when the courts have convicted 3214 people in this category of cases, follows from the statistics of the Judicial Department at the Supreme court.
More than half of all sentences to corrupt officials ruled the courts in the Central and Volga districts. The most minimal level – in the Crimea and in the far East, to the judicial statistics.
For bribery was sentenced 2632 person, but paid three times less – only 866.
The same trend was observed in 2014: while the overall growth of convictions on corruption cases, those who offered money, was 2.5 times higher (4080 people) than those who received (1,700 people). In 2013 the offering was twice more than takers.
Supreme court Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev, summing up 2014 at the meeting–seminar of heads of courts in February of this year, reported that, despite the increase in corruption cases, 65% of them the amount of bribe does not exceed 10 thousand rbl. In June, Lebedev suggested to introduce into the criminal code new criminal offences for petty corruption: such things are, in the opinion of the President of the Supreme court must investigate the investigators and to consider the justices of the peace.
Lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov believes that the growth of cases against bribers may be associated with provocation on the part of law enforcement. “The easiest way to do the traffic police, which the drivers themselves regularly offer money,” – said the lawyer. As a result, according to statistics, it turns out a large number of small corruption offences, says Zherebenkov. Agree with him the lawyer Alexei Mikhalchik, who notes that thanks to such small crimes law enforcement agencies provide yourself with a good clear-up rate.
Although many corruption crimes such as embezzlement of budget funds or assets, are classified not according to the article 290 and 291 of the criminal code (giving and receiving bribes): the defendants in the case charged with fraud or embezzlement (article 159 and 160 of the criminal code), says Zherebenkov.
Qualification depends on whether or not law enforcement authorities to prove that the act for which the official or the official received money, part of their responsibilities, explains the lawyer Ruslan Koblev. If, for example, the security officer receives a bribe for the termination of the criminal case, then his actions would be classified as fraud and not bribery, as he himself, without the investigator, the matter could not stop, says Koblev.
Arrested for corruption by the Governor of the Sakhalin region Alexander Horoshavin is accused of taking bribes in $5.6 million in Contracting for the construction of a fourth unit at the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk CHPP. But the head of Komi Vyacheslav Gaizer was charged with organizing a criminal community and fraud in the derivation of the assets of profitable companies in the region. According to investigators, Gaiser, whose duties did not involve the resolution of economic issues of companies, gave instructions to other members of the gang about what to do with the shares of JSC “Poultry farm “zelenetskaya” and of “avalon”. According to investigators, the defendants exchanged assets for shares of illiquid companies. And although the investigation considers the motives of Geiser and his accomplices, self-serving, bribe him not impute.
