Commercial Bribery and Payoffs: Directions of Legislative Development

Abstract

The article discusses the main stages of changes in the RF Criminal Code in the area of liability for commercial bribery and subornation in 2011, 2014 and 2016. The paper analyzes these changes and amendments with references to the Court's data concerning their efficiency. It has been shown that amendments made in the Criminal Code were based on the results of examination of the practice associated with sociological data, "linked" with the provisions of other federal laws. Thus, the duty of public and municipal officials to inform about incidents of instigating them to commit corruption offenses enshrined in Article 9 of the Federal Law № 273-FZ "On Counteracting Corruption" dated December 25, 2008 and supplemented by notes to Articles 291 and 291.1 of the RF Criminal Code concerning exemption from criminal liability only if they actively cooperated with investigating authorities formed the basis for motivating cooperation of persons who had committed offenses with law enforcement agencies in conducting investigating activities and inquiries in order to identify the bribe-giver, the bribe-taker and other persons involved in the crime. In 2015, 7453 public officials notified of the proposal to pay bribes (an increase of 14%, compared with 2014). As the result of these notifications, 3660 cases were filed (an increase of 27 %, compared with 2014), 2489 persons were brought to criminal liability (an increase of 22%, compared with 2014). Under the Federal Law of July 3, 2016 № 324-FZ "On amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation" two new crimes providing liability for "minor commercial bribery" and "minor subornation" (Articles 204.2 and 291.2 of the Criminal Code) have been included into the RF Criminal Code. Investigation of the crimes in question has been attributed to the powers of investigators. Thus, task groups and investigative bodies should be oriented to deal with counteracting high-risk cases of bribes at major scales, especially major scales, and bribes given by organized groups It was suggested that, in view of the provisions of anti-corruption conventions of the UN, OECD and GRECO, the RF CC can be supplemented by the rules concerning criminal 'iability for the promise and offering of commercial bribery and subornation On the basis of an analysis of the provisions of international anti-corruption conventions and anti-corruption laws of some states, it is proposed, that the promise of commercial bribe or subornation means the agreement between a bribe-giver and a bribe-taker concerning the transfer of a commercial bribe or subornation, and the offer of commercial bribery or subornation means intentional acts (or omissions) of a person directly aimed at implementing his or her intent to transfer the object of a commercial bribe or subornation, if the transfer was not actually effected for reasons beyond the control of the person