Rustam Minnikhanov has said at the collegium of the Investigations Committee: Speed and quality of criminal cases investigation remains the priority in your work

On 10 February, speaking at an expanded meeting of the collegium of the Russia Investigations Directorate of the Investigations Committee in Tatarstan, which discussed results of 2021 and set forth tasks for 2022, President of the republic Rustam Minnikhanov has said that the Tatarstan Investigations Directorate continues to keep leading positions among other investigation bodies of the Investigations Committee. Criminal investigators opened 4 939 criminal cases and 2 343 cases were submitted to the court, most of them being crimes against person and 226 criminal cases of bribery, he informed.

The keynote speaker at the meeting was Acting Head of the Investigations Directorate of the Investigations Committee in Tatarstan Marsel Dulkarnayev.

Minnikhanov said that last year was mostly favourable for the republic. “Tatarstan continues its sustainable development. We are implementing large projects and programmes aimed at improvement of quality of life of the population. Even though the pandemic made its changes in our life we are overcoming these challenges together”, he added.

Speaking about work of the Directorate in investigating criminal cases and revealing cases of corruption, Minnikhanov said:” Last year 1bn 400m roubles were recovered to complainants and 1.2bn roubles of property was seized”.

Minnikhanov continued, saying: “There was much success reached in closing the criminal cases of the past years, such as the cases of corruption and terrorist and extremist actions. Solution of cases of serial murder of women in Kazan and murders of old women and brining to criminal responsibility more than 10 members of the organized criminal groups are examples of efficient interaction of operational groups and the Investigations Directorate”.

“Speed and quality of criminal cases investigation remains the priority in your work. It is necessary to raise the level of legality of procedural decisions and avoid unjustified bringing of citizens to criminal responsibility. One of the most important tasks is struggling economic crime including that in the taxation and integrity of state and municipal property”, Tatarstan President stated.

He stressed that it was especially important to struggle corruption at any level, but “at the same time protect interests of .responsible entrepreneurs and to facilitate improvement of the business climate in the republic. You should instantly respond to any efforts to drag employees into commercial disputes and prevent malfeasance for pressing the business. The work should be done in constructive interaction with the prosecution and other law-enforcement and controlling bodies”.

According to Minnikhanov much attention should be given to timely salary payments and to revealing hidden salary debts, struggling against the “grey labour market, as “people in dire straits need support and last year 61 such criminal cases were opened and 220m roubles were recovered to people”.

He continued: “All efforts of fanning inter-ethnic and inter-religious animosities and planting radicalism ideology among youngsters must be terminated. There should be a continuous prevention of such crimes at all levels and all social stability threats must be revealed on time”.

Speaking about children’s abuse, Minnikanov said “Last year 437 kids became victims of such crimes. Provision of safety for children demands passing a set of preventive measures so it is necessary to develop measures for coordinating work of all law enforcement bodies, increase the number of solved crimes and  to step up preventive measures against this kind of violations.”.

The efficiency and quality of reviewing the residents’ applications and other reports about crimes grew last year and every second application resulted in opening a criminal case. At the same time 44 per cent of investigated cases were related to grave offence and exceptionally aggravated criminal offence and 22 percent – to cases of corruption. ‘In the whole the work of the directorate in this direction can be assessed as the good one and it should be continued”, - he concluded.