Embezzlement through abuse of official powers is the most common corruption crime in the Vitebsk region

September 21, Minsk /BelTA/. In the first half of 2012, 232 corruption offenses were detected in the Vitebsk region, which is 10% more than in the same period last year, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus informed BelTA. In the structure of corruption offenses, embezzlement through abuse of official powers accounted for 44% (101 offenses), bribery - 36% (83), abuse of official powers - 18% (41). The largest number of corruption offenses were registered in the industries of manufacturing - 45 offenses, agriculture and construction - 28 each, healthcare, provision of social services - 21. This year, a number of criminal cases have been initiated against medical workers who received bribes from citizens for unjustified issuance of sick leave certificates. In Vitebsk, criminal cases are being investigated against officials of diagnostic stations who received material remuneration from citizens for favorable resolution of issues regarding the state technical inspection of vehicles. The Prosecutor's Office of the Vitebsk region has sent to court a criminal case against the former head of a agricultural enterprise, who is accused of receiving bribes totaling about Br6 million for favorable resolution of the issue of acceptance and payment to a contractor for work performed at facilities owned by the agricultural enterprise. The Prosecutor General's Office noted that law enforcement agencies of the Vitebsk region have intensified their work to combat embezzlement committed through abuse of official powers. In May, a criminal case was initiated in Orsha against the manager of an association of co-owners of joint property, who, abusing his official powers regarding the use of funds in the settlement account of the said association, embezzled Br13 million. Subsequently, other instances of similar embezzlement were identified, totaling over Br100 million. The court of the Polotsk district and city has issued a sentence against a former accountant of an educational institution, who, being entrusted with cashier functions, made false entries in payroll sheets and embezzled over Br55 million. The investigation into the criminal case against the chief engineer of a repair and construction department of one of the Vitebsk enterprises has been completed. The engineer, using his official powers, systematically gave illegal instructions to subordinates for several years to transfer construction materials belonging to the enterprise to him, totaling over Br40 million. The construction materials were used by him for the construction of his own country house. In addition, he systematically used enterprise employees without payment during their working hours to deliver construction materials and carry out construction and installation work at the country house under construction, where he himself was present during the workday. This year, the Prosecutor General's Office continued, numerous instances have been identified in various districts of the region where officials of the forestry industry drew up knowingly false administrative offense reports against citizens who had not committed them. Law enforcement agencies are taking measures aimed at recovering damages from guilty persons, restoring violated rights and legitimate interests of citizens. In the first half of 2012, over Br5.5 billion in damages caused by corruption offenses were compensated. In order to prevent, detect and suppress corruption-related offenses, the prosecutor's offices of the Vitebsk region have submitted 73 submissions, issued 12 orders, lodged 47 protests, and officially warned 32 officials this year. At the request of prosecutors, 82 individuals who violated anti-corruption legislation were brought to disciplinary, administrative, and material liability. -0-