vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #590 / Crime watch / Reading article...

A total of 318 bribery-related crimes have been officially registered in the Russian Far East for this year’s first nine months, prosecutors said.

155 criminal cases have been filed on taking and receiving bribes for the period, Raisa Nudman, chief assistant to the Russian Far Eastern District prosecutor said, Ria Novosti news agency reported.

Overall, according to Nudman, over 1,500 crimes by state authorities, state services interests and local authorities have been registered, which is 12.3 percent higher than the number of crimes observed for the same period in 2006. Overall, 291 criminal cases on such crimes have been filed this year.

According to Nudman, along with taking and receiving bribes, the crimes also involve embezzlement and abuse of power by officials, with six cases launched on the first and ten on the latter.

The Prosecutor’s office inspections have also revealed such violations as not reporting information on their income to tax authorities, appointing people who do not satisfy qualification demands, as well as appointing people to vacancies without proper competitions. The violations have been found throughout the whole territory of the Russian Far East, Ria Novosti said.