Russia to establish new anti-corruption unit
On June 22, 2007, Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika announced that criminal businesses and money laundering is a threat to the economic development of Russia and therefore a special anti-corruption unit will be created within his office.
According to Chaika, money laundering is conducted by carrying out deals and financial operations, which allows criminal organisations to penetrate into the legal economy and make illicit activities by producing new schemes.
The Prosecutor General said that anti-corruption unit would make use of the experience of similar units in Spain, and his recent visit to Spain was by no means accidental as Spain’s efforts in fighting money laundering and corruption were praised by the Council of Europe and its experience should be applied by other European countries.
In 2006, the number of detected crimes related to money laundering in Russia increased by 7%, and those committed by organized criminal organisations rose by 1/3.
In accordance with the data provided by the prosecutor’s office, almost USD 270 million in illegal incomes were laundered in 2006.
3 500 criminal cases were sent to court, however, just some 500 people have been convicted.