Interfax: Most bribe givers, takers in Russia sentenced to fines

MOSCOW. Dec 3 (Interfax) – The sentencing of corruption suspects to fines has practically doubled in Russia in the past two years, the Supreme Court said.

“The number [of suspects] sentenced to fines has grown in the past two years, since the moment the amendments that significantly raised fines for corruptive practices came into force. Some 46.5% of all persons suspected of bribery and corrupt business practices were sentenced to fines in 2011. The percentage grew to 78.7% already in 2012. It practically did not change in the first half of this year,” Supreme Court judge, rapporteur Yelena Peisikova said at a Supreme Court plenary meeting on Tuesday.

A total of 1,442 suspects were convicted of bribery in 2012; 74% of them were sentenced to fines and 10.1% to imprisonment, she said.

“Some 2,093 persons were found guilty of giving a bribe in 2012, and the overwhelming majority, 86.5%, was sentenced to a fine and 4.8% to imprisonment,” the judge said.

Some 43.7% of persons convicted of corrupt business practices paid fines and 6% went to prison in 2012, Peisikova said.

There was an upward trend in the imprisonment of suspects in practically every type of corruption crime during the first half of 2013, the rapporteur added.