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Meeting participants heard a report from First Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Buksman On the Results of Efforts by the Russian Federation Internal Affairs Agencies, Federal Security Services Agencies and Other Law Enforcement Agencies to Fight Corruption Crimes During the First Six Months of 2013.

The report notes that overall, efforts by all law enforcement agencies to fight corruption have become noticeably intensified. In the first six months of 2013 alone, a total of 29,000 corruption crimes were brought to light across the nation; criminal charges were brought against 9,000 corrupt officials, which constitutes an increase of nearly 20% compared to the first six months of 2012. At the same time, particular attention was given to intercepting crimes in the areas most liable to corruption: state purchases, state property management, housing and utilities, construction, trade and transport.

High-level officials are intercepted through anti-corruption efforts by the law enforcement system with increasing frequency. In addition to the widely publicised criminal trials of high-level Defence Ministry officials, criminal proceedings and investigations have been launched concerning corrupt practices by the deputy governor and other officials in the Novgorod Region administration, the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic’s education and science minister, the heads of the Federal Migration Service’s regional directorates in the Chuvash Republic, Chelyabinsk Region and Orenburg Region.

The efforts to uncover corrupt practices in the private sector have also become more fruitful. The number of bribery cases uncovered has increased by 30%, and cases of mediation in bribery increased by 84%.

Overall, the investigative agencies submitted nearly 20% more criminal cases in this category to the courts during this period. Most of these enquiries (75%) were conducted by the Investigative Committee.

This positive momentum is reflected in the investigators’ quality of work. The number of corruption cases being investigated has increased by nearly one third.

The preventive potential of the new anti-corruption legislation is being used more fully. The entire law enforcement system is aimed at assuring the practical implementation of new legislative acts on submitting data concerning incomes, expenditures and the regulation of conflicts of interest, as well as applying harsh penalties to guilty parties, including dismissal from service due to loss of confidence.

Today, these requirements are applicable not only to state and municipal officials, but also employees of state corporations and organisations founded by legislative acts (including the Pension Fund, the Social Insurance Fund, the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund and others).

We are becoming more experienced at intercepting anti-corruption legislation violations. Based on the results of the measures taken, about 38,600 officials have been subject to disciplinary and administrative charges. The number of corruption-related criminal proceedings based on materials from prosecutorial investigations has increased (with a total of approximately 3,000 this year); in particular, they have doubled in the area of procurement, increased 60.5% in the use of state and municipal property, and 16.5% in the use of land.

Measures are being taken to purge the law enforcement system. For example, 295 criminal charges have been brought as a result of 2,842 inspections conducted by internal security subdivisions at internal affairs agencies, and 1,061 staff members were held accountable, with 129 subject to criminal charges and 932 subject to disciplinary charges.

There has also been an increase in the number of reports by law enforcement staff concerning attempts made to engage them in committing corruption-related crimes. For example, in the first six months of 2013, police officers submitted twice as many such reports (over 1,000) as in the same period in 2012.

Law enforcement agencies will continue to make efforts to achieve concrete results in fighting corruption-related crimes.