Petty bribe-takers to be fined instead of going to prison
Bribe-takers got a commutation all of a sudden. After a deputy Syarhei Kastsyan expressed his indignation about the fact that his acquaintance, the head of a rural district, was imprisoned for 8 years for having accepted a 100 dollar bribe. As far as ERB has found out, deputies will reconsider the existing law in April and will replace imprisonment with a fine in autumn.
Now the deputy is ashamed of it and refuses to admit his contribution. He says that the society was ready for it and Minister Navumau “being a subtle and delicate person” listened to it.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Life prompted it to me and others have also understood it. Especially Minister Navumau, who is a delicate person in such cases, he quickly supported the idea”.
The deputy thinks that there is no sense in imprisoning bribe-takers. It is better to fine them for big sums of money and make them work for the good of the state.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Healthy and clever people should better work, and they should be fined. For example, if you accept 100 dollars you will have to pay 5 thousands to the state working wherever you like during 5 years. They should not sit behind bars, they should work. It would be useful for the state and everyone would think twice. They will say “What do I need the 100 dollars for if I have to pay 5 thousands back. Everyone will be pointing at me! I’d better have some water and bread!”
As far as ERB found out, about 2 thousand people are serving their sentence for bribery now. The head of the press service of the general Office of Public Prosecutor Mihail Vavula informed ERB that their cases will be reconsidered if a commutation of their sentence is adopted.
Mіhaіl Vavula: “If a law providing a commutation of sentence for a person who committed such a crime is adopted, then their cases will be reconsidered”.
Policemen often use the method they call “an investigative experiment” to reveal bribe-takers. An acquaintance of deputy Kastsyan - the head of a rural district - became a victim of such “an experiment”. That is why the elected representative of the people suggested forbidding “investigative experiments” together with the idea of changing the punishment for bribe-takers. According to him, they have already been forbidden.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Deputies voted for it during the autumn session, the Council of the Republic supported it and the President signed the decree. So it has already been cancelled”.
However, the head of the press service of the general Office of Public Prosecutor Mihail Vavula confessed it was the first time he had heard it.
Mіhaіl Vavula: “You are the first to tell me about it”.
Let us remind you that it is the second time a decree signed by the President has been lost somewhere. The first one allowed driving schools to set prices for studies. Several weeks has passed since it was “signed” but it has not been published yet. So it has not come into power.
Now the deputy is ashamed of it and refuses to admit his contribution. He says that the society was ready for it and Minister Navumau “being a subtle and delicate person” listened to it.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Life prompted it to me and others have also understood it. Especially Minister Navumau, who is a delicate person in such cases, he quickly supported the idea”.
The deputy thinks that there is no sense in imprisoning bribe-takers. It is better to fine them for big sums of money and make them work for the good of the state.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Healthy and clever people should better work, and they should be fined. For example, if you accept 100 dollars you will have to pay 5 thousands to the state working wherever you like during 5 years. They should not sit behind bars, they should work. It would be useful for the state and everyone would think twice. They will say “What do I need the 100 dollars for if I have to pay 5 thousands back. Everyone will be pointing at me! I’d better have some water and bread!”
As far as ERB found out, about 2 thousand people are serving their sentence for bribery now. The head of the press service of the general Office of Public Prosecutor Mihail Vavula informed ERB that their cases will be reconsidered if a commutation of their sentence is adopted.
Mіhaіl Vavula: “If a law providing a commutation of sentence for a person who committed such a crime is adopted, then their cases will be reconsidered”.
Policemen often use the method they call “an investigative experiment” to reveal bribe-takers. An acquaintance of deputy Kastsyan - the head of a rural district - became a victim of such “an experiment”. That is why the elected representative of the people suggested forbidding “investigative experiments” together with the idea of changing the punishment for bribe-takers. According to him, they have already been forbidden.
Syarhei Kastsyan: “Deputies voted for it during the autumn session, the Council of the Republic supported it and the President signed the decree. So it has already been cancelled”.
However, the head of the press service of the general Office of Public Prosecutor Mihail Vavula confessed it was the first time he had heard it.
Mіhaіl Vavula: “You are the first to tell me about it”.
Let us remind you that it is the second time a decree signed by the President has been lost somewhere. The first one allowed driving schools to set prices for studies. Several weeks has passed since it was “signed” but it has not been published yet. So it has not come into power.
