Misappropriation of over Br14.6 billion prevented in the Vitebsk region in 2008

April 29, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The misuse of over Br14.6 billion in budget funds was prevented in the Vitebsk region during inspections conducted in 2008 by audit services and regulatory bodies. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Igor Bogachev, prosecutor of the department for supervision of legislation execution and legality of legal acts of the Vitebsk region prosecutor's office. Thus, specialists of the control and audit department of the Ministry of Finance for the Vitebsk region identified the misuse of about Br2.5 billion last year. In addition, at 369 enterprises, institutions, and organizations in the region, facts of illegal spending of funds and material assets worth Br2.3 billion were established, at 25 facilities - shortages and embezzlement worth Br383 million, other damages - worth Br1.6 billion. The most frequent misuse of funds was identified in enterprises and organizations of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, as well as in enterprises of the agro-industrial complex. For example, in the agro-industrial complex, damages totaling over Br3 billion were identified in 306 economic entities and organizations, including illegal spending of money and material assets worth Br699.6 million. According to Igor Bogachev, such situations are often caused by ill-considered actions and omissions in the implementation of management decisions, when instead of finding a way out of problematic situations, fictitious documents are drawn up to conceal organizational miscalculations and violations. In some cases, to create the appearance of a favorable situation with property security, officials of agricultural organizations intentionally distorted official documents, entering deliberately false information into them to avoid negative consequences for themselves. An analysis of data from regulatory and law enforcement agencies indicates that facts of mismanagement, wastefulness, and embezzlement continue to be widespread, causing significant damage to the interests of the state. More effective interaction between audit services and law enforcement structures, as well as stricter accountability of managers for the security of state property, will help reduce the number of offenses in this area, the prosecutor added. -0-