Over 100,000 to Benefit From Economic Amnesty – Ombudsman

Boris Titov file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, June 26, 2013) ­ A proposed economic amnesty in Russia is expected to release almost 100,000 people from criminal liability, Russia’s business ombudsman Boris Titov said on Wednesday.

“Under a previous draft, we counted 13,500 people serving their prison terms on charges covered by the draft amnesty. But we should also not forget about 70,000-80,000 people who received suspended sentences, were given fines and other penalties not related to the deprivation of freedom,” Titov said.

There are also “tens of thousands of people on whom criminal cases have just been opened,” Titov said, adding 155,000 investigations were started last year related to economic charges, of which only 35,000 cases reached the court.

Titov put forward a proposal for economic amnesty in May but President Vladimir Putin said the idea was “raw” and in need of revision.

Putin gave his support on Friday for a revised amnesty and urged the lower house of parliament to pass a bill pardoning first-time violators of financial laws before the legislature goes on summer vacation.

The amnesty would apply only to those offenders who have already “compensated for the damage they have caused or agree to provide compensation,” Putin told the State Duma, adding that the bill would “restore justice” and strengthen “entrepreneurial initiative.”

Titov told RIA Novosti earlier that the amnesty would “send a signal to law enforcement agencies” to stop harassing businesses.

Police pressure businesses because they think that “a businessman is a thief, that he has stolen something from the country,” Titov said. But the ombudsman cited the president as saying that businesspeople “should work, not sit in jail.”

Senior lawmakers said the Duma was ready to pass the bill as soon as possible. The legislature goes on summer vacation on July 14. Its last plenary session is on July 5.

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