Corruption-related Crimes Research Articles

Уголовно-правовая характеристика преступлений коррупционной направленности по законодательству Федеративной Республики Германия

The authors, examines foreign experience of combating corruption-related crimes based on an analysis of the criminal legislation of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany), international legal acts in the field of combating corruption, official statistics, scientific approaches, media materials and the author`s understanding about the crimes of this category.

On the Interrelation of the Concepts of Corruption, Corruption-Related Crimes and Bribery in the Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation

Corruption has become a transnational phenomenon that threatens the stability and security of the society. Moreover, this phenomenon has a negative impact on various spheres of society, which undermines the democratic institutions and values of any state. Statistical data from Russia and Kazakhstan indicate that the number of corruption-related crimes has been increasing, thus pointing at the lack of effective measure of combating this phenomenon. In the studies and normative acts of Russia and Kazakhstan regulating the issues of combating corruption, the concept of corruption is given a different interpretation. In this regard, using the analogy with the legislation of Kazakhstan, the authors propos a new understanding of corruption, which should be codified in the relevant Federal Law of Russia. In addition, in order to improve the quality of legal regulation of anti-corruption in the General part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to consolidate the list of corruption-related crimes. There are quite a lot of definitions of the term bribery in academic literature. At the same time, most authors believe that it should be considered through criminal and legal components. Bribery is one of the most important elements of corruption, responsibility for it is provided in articles 366, 367, 368 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan and articles 290, 291, 2911, 2912 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the offer and promise of a bribe (including the offer and promise of mediation in bribery) is not criminalized. In this connection, the authors, with regards to the requirements of the UN Convention against Corruption on criminalization of acts of promising, offering mediation in bribery, and relying on the practices of the legislator of the Russian Federation, propose to amend Article 368 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Mediation in Bribery). The authors believe that the discussed changes and additions will result in a legal framework for combating corruption and defining its boundaries.

Возможные пути совершенствования законодательства, регламентирующего уголовную ответственность за злоупотребление должностными полномочиями

This article discusses the problematic issues of generalization and systematization of proposals for improving criminal legislation regulating liability for abuse of official authority. Corruption-related crimes have a fairly ex-tensive set of consequences and have a negative impact on the strategic development processes of our coun-try. They act as the strongest deterrent to the socio-economic development of the country, which makes it pos-sible to consider corruption as a phenomenon threatening state and public security. As part of the research the problems of criminalization of the designated criminal phenomena are studied, proposals to improve the crim-inal legislation providing for liability for abuse of official powers (Аrticle 285 of the Criminal Code of the Rus-sian Federation), taking into account the relationship of this criminal act with corruption manifestations are de-veloped. As a result of the study, the author proposes to make adjustments to the content of Article 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Formulation of Criminal Law Policy Against Influence Trading as A Criminal Act of Corruption

The act of trading in influence is still not considered as a criminal offence so that until now the regulations governing it do not exist or have not been regulated in Indonesia. This research aims to examine the regulation of the formulation of trading in influence as a Corruption Crime according to positive law and analyse the criminal law policy towards the formulation of trading in influence as a Corruption Crime in the future. The research method used is normative juridical with analytical approach, with the specification of description analysis. The results showed that the absence of regulation regarding the formulation of the offence of trading in influence in Indonesian positive law causes law enforcement officials to often use the offence of bribery to criminalise while between bribery and trading in influence are two different things. The offence is different from the offence of bribery and other corruption offences so it is necessary or a different crime from the category of corruption-related crimes covered by the relevant Legislation. In order to achieve the objectives of the law as stated in Article 1 paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia that Indonesia is a State of law, as a form of legal development through legal policies that formulate existing rules with elements, namely each party involved, the form of trading in influence regulated in the respective regulations, the perpetrators who carry out these acts, the form of action and also the form of giving and receiving from the parties for one purpose, namely obtaining an undue advantage or benefit. Specifically, the article on trading in influence in Law Number 31 of 1999 jo Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Eradication of Corruption so that there is no legal vacuum in the event of a case related to trading in influence

ПРОТИВОДЕЙСТВИЕ ПРЕСТУПЛЕНИЯМ КОРРУПЦИОННОЙ НАПРАВЛЕННОСТИ НА ПРИМЕРЕ СОЕДИНЕННЫХ ШТАТОВ АМЕРИКИ

The foreign experience of countering corruption-related crimes is considered based on the analysis of the legislation of the United States of America, international legal acts in the field of combating corruption, official statistics, scientific approaches, media materials and the author's understanding of crimes of this category.

الآليات الدولية لمكافحة الفساد: اتفاقية الأمم المتحدة لمكافحة الفساد أنموذجاً

Corruption is considered a multifaceted criminal phenomenon worldwide, and its combat is only effective through international mechanisms. The United Nations Convention against Corruption, issued in 2003, is regarded as the most important international framework for countries in combating corruption. The current study aims to understand the international mechanisms related to combating corruption according to the United Nations Convention, utilizing both descriptive and analytical methodologies. The descriptive approach was adopted to identify the specific nature of corruption crimes and the relevant substantive and procedural rules. Meanwhile, the analytical method was used to determine how to address these crimes within the existing international framework. The study concluded several noteworthy results, including the absence of a comprehensive, agreed-upon definition of corruption that satisfies all researchers. Additionally, the United Nations Convention did not include a clear and legal definition of corruption under study. It was also revealed that the legislative framework of the convention incorporates specific provisions for preventive measures against corruption, as stipulated in Articles 5, 6, 10, and 13. The convention also includes deterrent measures that criminalize various forms of traditional and non-traditional corruption acts. The United Nations Convention goes beyond merely criminalizing corruption-related crimes; it extends to obliging member states to criminalize and punish any public official who abuses their power and engages in trading influence for illicit gains. However, the convention, according to Article 17, limits the crime of embezzlement of public funds to national public officials, without any reference to foreign public officials or civil servants in international organizations. The study recommended the necessity of incorporating supervisory and executive measures into the United Nations Convention.

Committing corruption-related crimes in commercial and other organizations and ways to counter them

Relevance. The relevance of the research is due to the need to improve the measures of criminal law in connection with the multiplicity of complex issues and consequences of corruption and its criminal manifestations. Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the state of corruption in commercial and other organizations and identify ways to counter this phenomenon. Methodology. The theoretical approach, the dogmatic approach, the formal legal approach, the method of legal hermeneutics, the method of deduction should be noted among the methodological approaches used. The concept of a corruption crime was analyzed through the prism of various approaches, namely, doctrinal, legislative and departmental. Results. Clear criteria were established, which made it possible to minimize disagreements in the legal assessment of acts as corrupt. The issue of the negative impact of corruption on the public life of the state as a whole was also considered, necessitating analysis of the existing preventive anti-corruption measures. It was noted that at the moment there are positive results in filling positions in the state executive bodies in a manner that is based on meritocracy principles. A special role in counteracting corruption-related crimes is occupied by preventive educational measures among the population in relation to these crimes. An equally important aspect is the identification of the need for further implementation of the provisions of international conventions, which are effective preventive tools for abuse of po0hwer for mercenary purposes, into the current domestic legal framework. Conclusions. The practical value of the results obtained lies in providing ways to improve the effectiveness of the current anti-corruption policy and reduce the incidence of corruption-related crimes.

Fight against Corruption-Related Crimes in Wartime in Ukraine

AbstractThe article aims to provide a comprehensive theoretical and practical analysis of the issues in the legal regulation of corruption prevention, study the state of the fight against corruption and the legalization of proceeds of corruption-related crimes under martial law, determine new corruption risks during a war, and suggest recommendations for their minimization. The authors of this article established the main problems that cause the emergence and spread of corruption in society and ways to overcome this phenomenon. The study’s results established that independent anti-corruption agencies and authorized law enforcement agencies have continued preventive and law enforcement activities even under war conditions, their purpose being to ensure the normal State functioning, the country’s defence capacity, and society’s security. In law-making and law enforcement activities, this research work can help to improve international relations between Ukraine and foreign countries in the context of the development of bilateral relations regarding the provision of assistance to Ukraine for post-war recovery, the attraction of investment, the fight against corruption, and possible accession to the European Union.

КОРРУПЦИЯ КАК ТОРМОЗ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ РОССИЙСКОГО ГОСУДАРСТВА И ОБЩЕСТВА (НА ПРИМЕРАХ ИЗ ПРАКТИКИ САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГА)

The article examines the issues of such a dangerous socially negative phenomenon of a criminal nature as corruption, which hinders the sustainable development of Russian society and defines Russia in the world community as a country with a high level of corruption, contributing to its economic collapse and the destruction of the system of state power and management. The concept of corruption, its causes and forms is revealed, the classification of corruption-related crimes is given. The research is mostly based on the practice of St. Petersburg in the fight against corruption by law enforcement agencies and the prevention of corruption manifestations. The material is replete with examples of judicial practice concerning corruption crimes; statistical data characterizing the level of corruption in the Northern capital.

Особенности личности преступника–коррупционера в системе образования

Criminal acts have been committed throughout the history of all mankind and will continue to be committed in the future. Corruption crime is a complex and multifaceted process that generates negative trends in a develop-ing society. Its dynamics serves as evidence indicating the necessity to conduct research in this area. There is an upward trend in the number of corruption-related crimes since 2020. The majority of acts committed due to bribery are registered. The turnover of corrupt cash in domestic education is about $ 5.5 billion annually, which is comparable to the budget of a small state. In this study, the authors will examine the personal characteristics of the criminal corruption offender in the educational system depending on his official duties, compile his crim-inological portrait on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics, and identify specific features of the typol-ogy of the offender’s personality.

Основные направления противодействия преступлениям коррупционной направленности в системе образования

Despite the measures taken to counteract corruption-related crimes, there is a positive trend in the activities of law enforcement agencies to identify, disclose, prosecute and prevent corruption as a negative social phenom-enon – the education system remains the most corrupt area. This type of criminal encroachments poses a threat to national security, sovereignty, democratic development, social justice, equality of rights of all citizens to receive free public education. Difficulties arising in the process of countering corruption-related crimes that hinder the successful implementation of preventive measures are due to the presence of selfish mutual inter-ests, both among students and employees of educational structures. The methodological basis of the research was private-scientific research methods: logical-legal, statistical and system analysis methods. The causal rea-son for the current situation is the insufficient effectiveness of control by law enforcement agencies, the low level of activity on the part of public associations, the imperfection of the system of protection of persons who have declared the facts of the existence of circumstances of conflicts of interest. Corruption crime in the educa-tion system is systemic and hidden. Corruption-related ties have been forming for a long time and include a wide range of participants both inside and outside the educational structure.

Administrative and legal responsibility of a private notary for corruption or corruption-related offenses

The article examines the specifics of administrative and legal liability of notaries for corruption and corruption-related offenses. Anti-corruption is one of the important tasks of the state, therefore anti-corruption legislation is reformed quite often, as a result of which gaps and inconsistencies between individual legal acts may arise. A notary public is a person authorized by the state to perform notarial activities. Official duties and status of notaries contribute to increasing the trust of citizens, so private notaries can use their official powers for personal purposes, as a result of which damage may be caused to public values and the state.
 The administrative and legal responsibility of notaries for corruption offenses is aimed at preventing the commission of such offenses, educating the notary public and protecting the professional sphere of notaries. The administrative responsibility of a notary is a guarantee and a means of ensuring the rights and legal interests of citizens and legal entities when performing notarial and registration actions.
 Based on the analysis of normative legal acts, a discrepancy was found in the aspect of administrative and legal responsibility of notaries for corruption or corruption-related offenses. Thus, private notaries are among subjects who can commit corruption-related offenses, while the legislation on notaries today does not provide for bringing a notary to administrative responsibility.
 It was determined that, in this aspect, it is important to increase the effectiveness of anti-corruption in the field of activity of notaries and it is expedient to eliminate the shortcomings in the legislation and implement the electronic form of the state registration procedure. With the help of the implementation of the specified measures, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the legislation on the administrative and legal responsibility of a private notary for corruption and corruption-related offenses. Further research is possible in the directions of improving the legislation on the administrative and legal responsibility of notaries for corruption and corruption-related crimes.

Corruption in the Context of Digitalization of Public Relations

The article discusses some aspects of countering corruption-related crimes, taking into account the current public relations. Over the past twenty — twenty-five years, the most serious transformations have taken place in the society due to the global processes of digitalization of almost all spheres of human activity. It is obvious that these processes are not only positive in the light of the development of information and communication technologies, but also, unfortunately, have a negative component associated with the fact that criminals are actively introducing new ways and means of committing illegal acts. Special attention should be paid to the fact that criminals actively use innovative technologies, committing corruption-related crimes, the fight against which is currently in the focus of attention of both state authorities and the public. Corruption today has acquired "digital" forms, which, accordingly, seriously complicate its prevention, detection and suppression by traditional methods. In this regard, the article considers two main directions. The first one is more criminological in nature and is related to the methods of transmitting information about giving, receiving a bribe, and mediation in bribery. First of all, we are talking about the speed of transmission of such information, its secrecy, the accessibility of citizens to information and communication technologies, which makes it possible to simultaneously and independently of the location, including outside the state, to transmit meaningful information about the circumstances concerning the preparation for giving and receiving a bribe. This, of course, seriously increases the already rather high level of latency of corruption-related crimes. And the second direction presented in the article concerns the issues related to cryptocurrency as a subject of crime, which is an integral part of information globalization.

Expansion of the Concept of the Subject of a Corruption Crime: National and Foreign Experience

The problematic issues of the implementation of criminal policy in the field of combating corruption-related crimes and preventing corruption are considered. The problems of expanding the limits of discretion of the law enforcement officer in determining the concept of an official in connection with the changes made to Note 1 to Art. 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, delimitation of official and professional duties. The possibility of introducing foreign experience, currently recognized by international organizations in the framework of successful criminal practices in the fight against corruption, is being considered, incl. to expand the list of subjects of criminal liability by including legal entities in the number of such.

Предупреждение преступлений коррупционной направленности в процессе их расследования

Рассмотрена деятельность следователя по предупреждению преступлений коррупционной направленности на этапе их расследования. Проведен анализ состояния, устремленности и тенденций данной деятельности. Обращено внимание на недостаточную эффективность регламентированных законодательством действий следователя в аспекте реализации мер предупреждения коррупционных преступлений. В соответствии с Уголовно-процессуальным кодексом Республики Беларусь следователь обязан выявлять причины и условия, способствовавшие совершению коррупционных преступлений. В дальнейшем он выносит представление об устранении выявленных причин и условий совершения преступления либо воздерживается от таких действий, руководствуясь своим усмотрением в пределах предоставленного права. В связи с этим предложено на уровне закона закрепить обязанность следователя принимать меры реагирования в случае выявления причин и условий совершения преступления. Автор указывает на вероятные направления следственной деятельности в связи с необходимостью предупреждения коррупционных преступлений. Одним из таких направлений представляется реализация предупредительных мер индивидуального характера в отношении участников уголовного процесса. Объектами предупредительного воздействия, осуществляемого в процессе производства следственных действий, выступают подозреваемые (обвиняемые), а в ряде случаев — и иные участники уголовного судопроизводства. Иное направление осуществления мер предупреждения коррупционных преступлений разворачивается за пределами расследованного уголовного дела. В этой ситуации объектами предупредительно-профилактической работы следователя являются организация (учреждение), в котором произошло коррупционное преступление, её руководящий состав, а также неопределённый круг иных лиц, профессиональная или служебная деятельность которых осуществляется в данной организации (учреждении). В качестве самостоятельного направления противодействия коррупционным преступлениям автор предлагает совместную профилактическую деятельность, участниками которой выступают следователи, расследовавшие уголовные дела о коррупционных деяниях, и специализированное подразделение Следственного комитета. Осуществление предупредительнопрофилактической деятельности по указанным направлениям представляется возможным на нормативно-правовой основе, что предполагает совершенствование действующего процессуального законодательства.

Corruption-related crimes

Corruption-related crimes

The main levels of prevention of corruption-related crimes committed in the education system

The main levels of prevention of corruption-related crimes committed in the education system

The Role of Internal Affairs Bodies in the Prevention of Corruption Crimes

In the modern period, our state and society are striving to eradicate corruption in all its manifestations. The social danger of corruption is obvious. It is safe to say that corruption is one of the most serious threats to the national security of the country. In this regard, the activities of special bodies authorized to combat corruption crimes have great preventive potential, the key place among which is occupied by the internal affairs bodies. The purpose of this work is to determine the place of internal affairs bodies in the system of countering corruption-related offenses. Based on the current legislation, the author reveals the concept of «corruption». Using up-to-date official statistical data, the author presents quantitative and qualitative indicators of corruption offenses in the Russian Federation and concludes that the number of detected corruption crimes is growing annually, which indicates the need for the subjects to intensify the prevention of corruption crimes, including internal affairs agencies, those forces and means that are directed to fight corruption in the our country. Determining the place of the internal affairs bodies in the system of countering corruption-related offenses, the author names the main subjects of the prevention of these crimes. At the same time, the special role of the internal affairs bodies in solving such a national task as the fight against corruption is determined by the legal and organizational foundations of combating corruption that have developed in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Special attention is paid in the article to the coverage of the main anticorruption measures that should be implemented by employees of the internal affairs bodies. The author also reveals the specifics of the activities of individual divisions of the internal affairs bodies in the prevention of corruption offenses, primarily the economic security and anti-corruption units of the territorial internal affairs bodies. In conclusion, the author states that police officers, performing the function of preventing corruption-related crimes and administrative offenses, are engaged in ensuring not only public, but also national security in general, which indicates the special role of internal affairs bodies in preventing corruption crimes.

Уголовно-правовые санкции за коррупционные преступления: мнение научного сообщества и видение правоприменителя

Введение: статья посвящена анализу основополагающих положений Уголовного кодекса Российской Федерации в части уголовно-правовых санкций за преступления коррупционной направленности и их влияния на эффективность реализации государством в лице правоохранительных и судебных органов мер по обеспечению справедливости наказания за уголовно наказуемые деяния данного вида. Цель: на основе исследования норм уголовного законодательства и внесенных в него за последние два десятилетия изменений и анализа статистических данных о назначаемых судом за отдельные наиболее распространенные виды коррупционных преступлений уголовных наказаний изложить отмеченные представителями научного сообщества и правоприменителями недостатки уголовного законодательства в данной сфере борьбы с преступностью и одновременно предложить меры по совершенствованию уголовно-правовых санкций, способных наряду с вектором государства на либерализацию уголовной ответственности обеспечить снижение угрозы коррупционной опасности, что в целом призвано обеспечить безопасность государства, в первую очередь в сфере его экономической деятельности. Методы: исторический, сравнительно-правовой и эмпирический, теоретические методы формальной и диалектической логики, частно-научные методы, юридико-технический и метод толкования конкретных юридических норм. Результаты: на основании анализа современного состояния уголовного законодательства и внесенных в него начиная с 2003 г. изменений в части либерализации уголовно-правовых санкций и складывающейся су- дебной практики назначения уголовного наказания в виде лишения свободы и штрафа дается в целом негативная оценка и обосновывается необходимость их совершенствования в целях соответствия уголовно-правовых предписаний реалиям борьбы с коррупционной преступностью и обеспечения тем самым законности, справедливости и равенства граждан перед законом и одновременно гуманизма при реализации норм уголовного закона. Выводы: для обеспечения указанных принципов уголовного закона применительно к современным реалиям (новые виды преступлений, в том числе их совершение с использованием информационно- телекоммуникационных технологий, значительное увеличение размеров причиненного преступлениями материального ущерба как государству и иным хозяйствующим субъектам, так и гражданам) требуется принятие законодателем соответствующих мер по совершенствованию уголовного законодательства, в частности корректив нижних пределов таких конкретных уголовно-правовых санкций, как лишение свободы и штраф, размеры которых сегодня снижают уровень эффективности борьбы с коррупционными преступлениями, в том числе относящимися к категории не только тяжких, но и особо тяжких преступных деяний. Introduction: the article analyzes fundamental provisions of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in terms of criminal law sanctions for corruption-related crimes and their impact on the effectiveness of measures implemented by the law enforcement and judicial authorities to ensure fairness of punishment. Purpose: on the basis of the study of criminal legislation norms and their amendments made over the past two decades and the analysis of statistical data on criminal penalties imposed by the court for certain most common types of corruption-related crimes, to outline criminal legislation shortcomings in this sphere noted by representatives of the scientific community and law enforcement officers; to propose measures for improving criminal sanctions, capable, along with the state’s focus on the criminal liability liberalization, to lower corruption risks, thus ensuring the state security, primarily in the sphere of its economic activity. Methods: historical; comparative legal and empirical methods; theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic, private scientific methods; legal and technical methods and the method of interpretation of specific legal norms. Results: on the basis of the analysis of the current state of criminal legislation and the amendments introduced into it since 2003 regarding liberalization of criminal law sanctions and the emerging judicial practice of imposing criminal penalties in the form of imprisonment and a fine are generally negatively assessed and the need for their improvement is justified in order to comply with realities of the fight against corruption-related crime and thereby ensure legality, justice and equality of citizens before the law and at the same time humanism in the criminal law norms implementation. Conclusions: in order to ensure these criminal law principles in relation to modern realities (new types of crimes, including their commission using information and telecommunication technologies, a significant increase in the amount of material damage caused by crimes to both the state and other economic entities and citizens), it is necessary for the legislator to take appropriate measures to improve criminal legislation and, in particular, adjust lower limits of such specific criminal law sanctions as imprisonment and a fine, the size of which today undermines effectiveness of the fight against corruption-related crimes, including those belonging to the category of not only serious, but also especially serious criminal acts.

Extraditing Persons from Italy to Vatican City: Chimera or Real Possibility?

In the course of the last year Italy was confronted with the unusual request from the Vatican City to extradite an Italian national to face charges of embezzlement and misappropriation of Holy See funds. The Holy See requested the extradition of Cecilia Marogna, a self described intelligence analyst and private spy from Sardinia, who worked for Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a senior Vatican official who was demoted over embezzlement claims. The case has received considerable press coverage and attention through print and online media worldwide, not least because of its numerous twists and turns such as the arrest of Marogna in Milan on an Interpol warrant issued at the Holy See’s request, the sudden drop of the extradition request by the Vatican authorities, and Italy’s highest court ruling thatCecilia Marogna never should have been arrested before a court evaluated whether she could be extradited. The aim of this Article is to explore whether the extradition of an Italian national, from Italy to the Vatican, unlike what has been claimed by Marogna’s defense lawyers and implicitly accepted by the Vatican authorities that dropped the extradition request, is instead possible. The thesis defends this possibility regardless of the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty between Italy and the Vatican and of an ad hoc extradition agreement between Italy and the Holy See. But this is only provided that the request for extradition concerns an Italian citizen convicted or accused of corruption-related crimes like Cecilia Marogna. This Article will proceed as follows: after an introduction,Section 1 will discuss and reject an argument that infers a prohibition of extradition from Italy to the Vatican from the wording of Article 22 of the Lateran Treaty of 1929. Sections 2 and 3 will consider and exclude that an obstacle to extradition from Vatican City to Italy may be inferred from the poor quality of the criminal justice system in Vatican City or from the authoritarian character of the Vatican’s internal legal order that is only presumed but not demonstrated. Finally, Section 4 will claim and argue that a proper duty toextradite persons not only from the Vatican to Italy but also from Italy to the Vatican should be inferred from Articles 43 to 49 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNAC) of which both Italy and the Vatican City/Holy See are bound as contracting parties.