Almost 300 businessmen are in Moscow pre-trial detention centers – Kommersant
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290 entrepreneurs were in custody in the capital’s pre-trial detention centers at the end of 2023, Tatyana Mineeva, Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the capital, said at conferences “Kommersant” “Criminal and subsidiary liability of owners and managers – 2024.” At the same time, according to her, the number of economic crimes in Moscow in 2023 decreased by almost 6% compared to last year, but the number of crimes committed by business increased over the same period.
“These statistics do not mean that entrepreneurs began to commit more crimes; rather, administrative pressure on them has increased based on some of their KPIs,” commented Ms. Mineeva.
The Business Ombudsman also reported that 735 entrepreneurs were brought to justice in Moscow last year. Most businessmen were attracted under the most “popular” article. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Fraud”). “Law enforcement officers often initiate criminal cases under this “rubber” article, since its wording makes it possible to declare almost any transaction a crime: alienation of assets or even payment. At the same time, the plot of the accusation often includes both contractual relations between contractors and issues of execution of government contracts. And often in such cases, the investigation refers in a petition to select a preventive measure, based on the fact that the incriminated crime does not relate to business activities. This is the most common case,” said Ms. Mineeva.
In January, President Vladimir Putin announced the need to study law enforcement practices and prepare proposals for possible mitigation of sentences for non-violent crimes. Earlier, HRC member Eva Merkacheva at a meeting with the president paid attention the fact that for economic crimes courts impose a sentence two to three times longer than for rape or murder. Mr Putin called such sentences controversial.
What an amnesty for non-violent crimes could be like – in the Kommersant publication “Have mercy mother”.
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