The list of officials authorized to initiate criminal proceedings against deputies and senators in Belarus will be expanded

April 7, Minsk / Yekaterina Nechayeva - BELTA /. The list of officials authorized to initiate criminal cases against members of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly will be expanded. This was reported to BELTA correspondent by Anatoly Vankovich, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives on National Security. According to him, a new bill has recently been submitted to the relevant commission, which amends certain current laws. Amendments will be made to the law on the status of a member of the House of Representatives and a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus. Now, the right to initiate criminal cases against them will be granted not only to the Prosecutor General, but also to the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, and the Financial Investigations Department of the State Control Committee. However, prior consent of the respective chamber of the National Assembly will be required. The bill provides for amendments to the law on operational-search activities, which will expand the list of officials authorized to issue orders for operational-search measures, including the interception of information from technical communication channels (so-called wiretapping). "Some members of the parliamentary corps have raised the question: why adopt such a bill if it is directed against them. But I believe that a person who does not cross the line and does not commit illegal acts has nothing to fear. We are obliged, along with other officials, to take measures against corruption," Anatoly Vankovich said. The deputy explained that the new bill is a logical continuation of the law adopted at the previous session, which amended the legislation to strengthen the fight against crime. At that time, the list of sanctions issued by the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, and the Financial Investigations Department of the State Control Committee was expanded. These officials were granted the right to authorize certain operational-search measures (including detention, search, wiretapping and recording of conversations, inspection of premises) and procedural actions without the sanction of the prosecutor. They were also empowered to initiate any criminal cases regardless of the established jurisdiction. The new bill is rather technical in nature; it brings the legislation into line with previously adopted amendments and provides for amendments to the laws on state security and internal affairs bodies, and on the status of members of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic. -0-