Prosecutor General's Office: the results of work in 2020 were summed up at a panel meeting

19.02.2021

Under the chairmanship of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Shved, a panel meeting of the Prosecutor General's Office was held, during which the results of work in 2020 were considered and tasks for 2021 were determined. 

The event was attended by the Secretary of State of the Security Council Alexander Volfovich, deputies of the Prosecutor General, prosecutors of regions, city of Minsk, director of the Scientific and Practical Centre for Problems of Reinforcing Law and Order of the Prosecutor General's Office, heads of departments of the Prosecutor General's Office, and other employees. 

In his introductory speech, the Prosecutor General named the supervision over quality of investigation of criminal cases among the priorities, including related to protest actions; ensuring the inevitability of punishment for crimes and offenses, reduction of number of victims of illegal actions, injured in fires and as a result of industrial accidents, respecting the rights of citizens, especially in labor or housing matters and social security; supervision over the targeted and effective use of budget funds. 

Andrei Shved also brought to notice of prosecutors the need to strengthen their coordinating role in the activities of the law enforcement and other state bodies for maintenance of law and order and compliance with law. 

At the panel reports were made by deputies of the Prosecutor General, regional and Minsk city prosecutors.

Criminal situation

At the end of 2020, a decrease in the number of grave and especially grave crimes (-28.3%) was observed, including rape (-45.3%), violent acts of a sexual nature (-8.8%), crimes against property - brigandage (-34, 1%) and robbery (-13.3%).

The number of recorded corruption-related offences decreased from 2,363 to 1,806, or by 23.6%.

As a result of supervisory and preventive measures, the number of illegal actions in respect to firearms, ammunition and explosives decreased by 19.9%, and crimes related to domestic violence - by 12.2%.

At the same time, in comparison with 2019, the total number of registered crimes increased by 8.0%. The level of criminality is higher than the national average in Gomel, Minsk regions and city of Minsk.

An increase in number of murders by 1.6%, by 5.0% - voluntary infliction of grave bodily injury; by 53.7% - extortion, by 192.1% -  theft through use of computer technology.

The number of crimes has decreased, committed by persons:

under 18 years old or with their complicity - by 20.4%

in a state of alcoholic intoxication - by 7.4%;

nonworkers and non-students - by 13.8%;

in groups - by 17.6%;

with previous criminal record - by 7.9%.

Fight against corruption

In 2020, in order to eliminate violations of anti-corruption law identified in course of 754 inspections, prosecutors made 698 remedial action orders, issued 529 orders, lodged 158 protests, issued 468 official warnings on the inadmissibility of repeat offenses, and initiated 45 criminal cases on crimes against the interests of the service.

On the initiative of prosecutors, 2 684 persons were brought to disciplinary responsibility for the violations committed, administrative – 656, material – 179 individuals and 16 legal entities for the amount of more than 465 thousand rubles.

Prosecutors filed 41 claims on recovery of damage, caused by corruption, including on the basis of Articles 36 and 40 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Fight against Corruption" in the amount of more than 1.9 million rubles.

More than 1 million rubles have already been collected on the considered claims.

The activities of the Program on Fighting Crime and Corruption for 2020 - 2022, approved by the decision of the republican coordination meeting on combating crime and corruption, were implemented.

The Prosecutor General's Office has prepared a collected volume «Methodological materials on the organization of anti-corruption activities in state bodies and organizations», which was sent for application in practical activities by Prosecutor General's Office, including in the formation of the main approaches to preventive work.

The priority will remain to be supervision on implementation of anti-corruption legislation in cooperation with regulatory authorities and operational services in vulnerable sectors of the economy, taking into account their social significance.

Activities on recovery of property, received in violation of anti-corruption legislation will continue.

Supervision over implementation of law by public bodies and other organizations

In 2020, the prosecution authorities carried out 7,557 (in 2019 - 7,789) inspections in order to supervise the implementation of law. Based on their results, 7,007 (7,324) remedial action orders were issued, 6,231 (6,346) orders were made, 4,020 (5,267) protests were lodged, 33,904 (34,005) individuals and legal entities were brought to disciplinary, administrative and material liability.

Social and political activities have shown the need for prompt decision-making by law enforcement and public bodies to counter the emerging challenges and threats.

Exercising their powers, the prosecutors ensured the inevitability of punishment for those who took part in unauthorized mass events, as well as compensation for property damage caused by them.

In the country facts of construction of apartment buildings in violation of regulatory time limit and unjustified suspension of construction are still observed, which infringed upon the property and housing rights of citizens. As of January 1, 2021, 25 houses were built beyond the deadlines.

In 2020, the prosecutor's office found violations in the implementation of software projects and scientific developments, facts of irrational spending of budgetary funds in the absence of proper control by the territorial executive and administrative bodies.

The reduction of external overdue receivables is subjected to particular control.

Strategic importance for the sustainable development of the country's economy, maintaining food security is attached to the effective functioning of the agro-industrial complex. To this end, prosecutors have been tasked thought implementation of prosecutorial supervision to ensure strict compliance by competent authorities and organizations, their officials with legislation in the agricultural sector.

In the field of environmental protection, supervision should be focused on entities that render limit-exceeding impact on nature and evade payment for management of natural resources.

For example, illegal activities of organizations on applications of open pits for the disposal of unprocessed construction and municipal waste have become widespread.

In 2020, the supervisory authorities constantly monitored the issues of compliance of the labor rights of workers.

Prosecutors detected violations of the procedure and terms of payment of salaries in more than 500 organizations that are not obliged to submit debts reports to statistics bodies. These organizations have developed an illegal practice of paying money to employees with a delay of 2-3 months.

Massively, employers admitted the facts of substitution of labor relations with civil-legal relations.

Response measures have been taken to restore the violated labor rights of citizens.

In a number of regions, the number of fires and their victims has increased, the situation in the field of labor protection and safety measures has worsened. In this regard, deliberate attention will be paid to ensuring the safety of life-sustaining activity of people.

It is also necessary to strengthen prosecutorial supervision over implementation of law in transport and customs authorities.

Supervision over implementation of law by the inquiry and pre-trial investigation bodies

In general, prosecutors ensured supervision over implementation of law by inquiry bodies and departments of the Investigative Committee, as well as protection of the rights of citizens, state and public interests at the stage of pre-trial proceedings.

Based on the results of examinations of the materials on the refusal to initiate a criminal proceeding, the prosecutors canceled 14,961 decisions on the refusal to initiate a criminal proceeding sending them for additional verification, 305 decisions - with the simultaneous initiation of a criminal proceeding.

In 2020, after examinations, prosecutors submitted 33 387 (37 322 in 2019) criminal cases to court. Prosecutors returned 609 (744) criminal cases to investigators for additional preliminary investigation.

In pursuance of the instruction of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the prosecution authorities continued to work on optimization of practice of application of preventive measure in the form of detention - the number of persons in respect of whom such a measure was chosen decreased from 9,846 to 7,954, or by 19.2%. Due to the lack of grounds, it was refused to sanction its application against 315 persons.

Prosecutors are focused on strengthening supervision over quality and efficiency of the preliminary investigation, timely execution by the criminal prosecution authorities of the entire range of measures on the detection and investigation of socially dangerous acts, as well as on the mandatory adoption of response measures for elimination of procedural violations and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Supervision of compliance with the law of judicial decisions in criminal cases

In 2020, the prosecution authorities supported public prosecution in 29,944 criminal cases, which amounted to 88.6% of all cases, considered by the courts.

Prosecutors brought appeals against 2,156 persons - their satisfaction rate was 79.6%.

The number of sentences, overturned by the courts of second instance with the referral of the case for a new trial decreased from 187 to 105. Prosecutors' protests formed the basis for such decisions in 77.8% of cases.

In the course of supervision, protests were brought against 777 persons - 80.7% were satisfied.

The topical tasks are the high-quality maintenance of the public prosecution, the correct application of legislative novels, the minimization of supervisory protests by lodging protests against unjustified sentences within the appeal period.

Supervision of compliance with the law of judicial decisions in civil cases

With the participation of prosecutors, national courts considered 17,533 civil cases.

In 2020, the work of the prosecutor's office to appeal against such judicial decisions was effective.

For example, in cases where the participation of prosecutors is mandatory, 70.9% of decisions of the total number was revoked due to their protests - 342 out of 482.

The number of appeals of prosecutor's office on civil cases was 1120, of which 60.6% were satisfied.

In the course of supervision - 191 and 84.3%, respectively.

The courts satisfied 8,029 claims of prosecutors to the amount of 116.7 million rubles.

Prosecution authorities will continue to monitor the legality and justification of judicial decisions, affecting the interests of the state, as well as citizens who are unable to defend their rights on their own.

The main focus is a compensation for damage, caused by illegal actions.

Handling citizens’ and legal entities’ applications

The number of applications from citizens, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs received by the prosecutor's office in 2020 decreased by 5% - from 84,075 to 79,893.

The number of applications considered on the merits decreased by 12.4% and amounted to 42,693 (in 2019 - 48,740).

The proportion of well-grounded, including partially, applications amounted to 26.3%, or 11 208 (13 184).

Predominantly, citizens appealed in the matter on execution of legislation, complained against some actions and decisions of bodies of inquiry and investigators of the Investigative Committee.

At a personal meeting, prosecutors received 32 130 (49 103) persons.

The results of work of the prosecution authorities in 2020 and the main tasks for 2021 are fixed in the panel decision

At the end of the event, Andrei Shved expressed gratitude to the prosecutors for their service and encouraged individual prosecutors for the conscientious performance of their duties and professionalism, displayed in maintenance of state prosecution in high-profile cases.

Photo: Prosecutor General's Office

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