Officials to Be Imprisoned for Failure of Their Enterprises to Achieve Planned Results

Source: www.charter97.org

A new norm would be introduced to the Criminal Code of Belarus. It stipulates for accountability of officials for non-achievement of targets which were a condition for granting state backing. This provision is contained in the amendments to the Criminal Code toughening responsibility for crimes connected with corruption. These amendments have been adopted today by the Chamber of Representatives in two readings.

Under the redrafted Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Belarus an official is responsible for ‘intentional non-fulfillment of actions he could and should have carried out because of his employment duties, combined with a failure to endeavor to prevent a crime, or which caused non-fulfillment of targets after a granted state financial backing’. A fine, or deprivation of the right to hold specific posts or prohibition to engage in specified activity and a fine, or corrective works for up to two years, or imprisonment for up to three years with deprival of the right to hold specific posts or a prohibition to engage in specified activity are punishment for such actions.

’State backing is provided on certain conditions. In case an official violated these conditions intentionally, he is to bear criminal responsibility in case of ensuing of certain consequences’, said the director of President’s National center of law project work Valery Mitskevich addressing the Parliament.