The focus is on identifying, suppressing, and preventing corruption offenses, as well as the causes and conditions that facilitate them.

In fulfillment of the Head of State's requirements to intensify the fight against corruption, the prosecutor's offices of the region consistently implement a set of measures aimed at identifying, suppressing, and preventing corrupt practices, as well as the causes and conditions conducive to them.

Priority attention is paid to combating bribery, preventing the inefficient and irrational spending of budget funds, strengthening financial and contractual discipline, and recovering damages caused by guilty parties.

The results of inspection activities indicate the insufficient effectiveness of local authorities and administrations in preventing corrupt practices.

Based on the results of 86 inspections conducted by the prosecutor's offices of the region in 2020 on the implementation of anti-corruption legislation, over 248 supervisory acts were issued. At the request of prosecutors, more than 430 officials were held liable for various offenses.

During inspections conducted by prosecutors in the housing and communal services sector, within the system of the Committee for Labor, Employment, and Social Protection, the Committee for Architecture and Construction of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the Main Financial Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, financial departments (divisions) of city and district executive committees, and the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, numerous violations of anti-corruption legislation were revealed, including in the procurement process.

Prosecutors continue to uncover isolated instances of violations of anti-corruption restrictions by public officials, including: prohibitions on engaging in entrepreneurial activities, performing other paid work, making trips at the expense of legal entities with whom they have official (employment) relations; inefficient use and unrecorded operation of service vehicles; non-compliance with the procedure for declaring income and property; and improper recording of working hours.

The predominant mass of detected corruption crimes consists of bribery, as well as embezzlement through

abuse of official powers. The largest number of corruption offenses were recorded in the agro-industrial complex.

The negative trend of an increase in the number of recorded corruption offenses in the sphere of public administration, which has developed this year, causes serious concern.

The circumstances described indicate the need to improve the forms and methods of work of law enforcement and other state bodies of the Vitebsk region in the fight against corruption.

In order to prevent corruption, the prosecutor's offices systematically carry out work aimed at creating an atmosphere of intolerance to corruption in society and ensuring publicity.

An information campaign was implemented on clarifying the requirements of anti-corruption legislation by giving speeches in the media, labor collectives, participating in seminars, and "round tables".

In order to ensure a unified law enforcement practice on issues of combating corruption, prosecutors of the Vitebsk region have ensured interaction with representatives of enterprises and organizations of the region.

One of the tools of preventive influence is the participation of prosecutors in meetings of commissions of local authorities, organizations, and enterprises for combating corruption.

At the same time, taking into account the epidemiological situation, priority was given to "remote" forms of communication (via video conferencing, "Skype", "Viber" applications).

For example, in September 2020, the regional prosecutor's office held a seminar with members of the anti-corruption commissions of city and district executive committees via video conferencing.

In total, in 2020, prosecutors made about 230 speeches with reports and lectures on anti-corruption topics, prepared more than 100 written materials for the media, and regularly communicated with the media orally.

The issues of combating corruption, in all its manifestations, are defined as priority areas of work for the prosecutor's offices of the Vitebsk region in 2021 as well.

Head of Department for

in the fight against corruption
and organized crime
of the regional prosecutor's office
Evgeny Lapkovsky