Kazan deputies were reminded of ‘a sentence to be shot’ for corruption
All deputies of Kazan City Duma, including businesspersons, are proposed to prohibit to have bank accounts abroad
At the last city public hearing, a project on introducing a number of amendments to the Charter of Kazan was announced. A key point was the prohibition to have foreign accounts to local deputies, among whom, as you know, many businesspersons. Also, as part of anti-corruption policy, they will have to file income declarations annually (previously it concerned only the mayor and his deputies). All details – in the report of Realnoe Vremya.
Public hearing for 15 people
The decision to hold public hearing on the next changes in the city charter was adopted at the beginning of the year. According to Lyudmila Andreyeva, the secretary of Kazan City Duma, citizens of Kazan were informed in advance about the event via media and the notice was published on the official website of city administration. We should note that few citizens of Kazan wanted to take part in solving urban issues – only 15 people gathered in the hall.
Andreyeva reminded that, according to the regulation 'On public hearings', those who wish to speak were to send their applications within 7 days before the hearing. However, there was no any initiative citizen.
Combating corruption, foreign accounts and suffering businesspersons
The chairperson of the commission on rule of law and local government of Kazan City Duma Liliya Bakulina in her report accentuated those innovations that City Charter will suffer within the anti-corruption policy. In the first place, it concerns the prohibition to have accounts abroad to the deputies.
We will remind that from May 2013 Vladimir Putin banned to have assets abroad to the members of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister and their spouses. Besides, the prohibition applies to the President of the state, deputies of all levels, mayors, governors, Prime Minister, prosecutor general, their deputies, heads of the Central Bank, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR) and other subordinate to the government institutions. Amendments from December 2014 allowed the officials to have accounts abroad if they cannot not to have them for reasons beyond their control.
'It is proposed to amplify the Charter with the notion 'a deputy, replacing the position of representative of the bodies of municipal formation of Kazan'; they will be subject to the prohibition to open and maintain accounts, deposits, keeping cash and valuables at foreign banks located outside the Russian Federation, as well as to have or use foreign financial instruments. It is proposed to include in the list the members of the Presidium of Kazan City Duma, chairperson of standing and temporary commissions and their deputies,' said Bakulina.
However, it should be noticed that the deputies of City Duma are not the officials in the truest sense. They all combine their 'deputy work' with the main work. Among them there are big businesspersons: for example, the beneficiary of the Bank of Kazan Oscar Prokopyev, the owner of KAN auto from the dynasty Kolesovs Aleksander Kolesov, the Director General of JSC BKK Bulat Kutdusov, the founder and Director General of retail chain Bakhetle Muslima Latypova and many others.
The Deputy of Kazan City Duma Aleksander Polivin, who was a member of the secretariat at the hearing, said that he fully endorses this decision.
'Formerly, we had the Soviet government, and it was considered as a crime, it was a sentence to be shot. I don't know why they were allowed to hold accounts abroad. Of course, you shouldn't do that. The public servants should keep their savings, if any, in their own country. My personal opinion is following: when you take money out, conceal them, that fact already means something,' told Polivin to Realnoe Vremya.
Personal interest and income declaration
The next amendment to the Charter of Kazan concerns the notification procedure by municipal employees about personal interest in the performance of official duties. In other words, if someone has a personal interest, the employee is to inform the employer in written form. Previously, this information was to come exclusively to the superior officer.
Also, all members will have to file income declaration annually. Earlier, this measure was applied only to the mayor and his deputies. Another innovation is a register of income sources led by the financial department of Executive Committee of Kazan.
The final decision regarding the draft presented at the public hearings will be submitted in spring 2016.