On combating crime in the agricultural sector

The Department for Supervision of Inquiry and Operational-Investigative Activities ensures the coordination of law enforcement activities regarding the resolution of applications and reports by internal affairs bodies of the region on facts of padding, concealment of livestock deaths, and other crimes committed in the specified industry.

Based on the results of inspections, the prosecutor's offices of the region initiated 6 criminal cases in the 1st quarter of 2023, including: official forgery, embezzlement through abuse of official powers, exceeding official powers, committed out of mercenary or other personal interest.

For the commission of the most serious of these crimes, provided for by Part 2 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, the punishment is imprisonment for up to 7 years with a fine and with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities.

Thus, in March 2023, the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus against the chief veterinarian and the chief livestock specialist of one of the OJSCs in the region, who in 2022 committed the theft of a bull weighing 383 kg from a farm, instructing their subordinate, the farm manager, who was unaware of their criminal activities, to transfer the bull to a third party, thereby causing damage to the OJSC in the amount of 1,742 rubles, by drawing up forged documents on the write-off of the stolen bull as having died from illness.

 In February 2023, the Prosecutor of Sennensky District initiated a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 426 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus against the brigadier of a livestock complex of one of the farms in the district. In 2022, out of mercenary and other personal interest, expressed in an attempt to avoid being held materially and disciplinarily liable for unsatisfactory organization of work on the safety and reproduction of cattle, she intentionally drew up and signed knowingly false documents on the sale of deceased livestock to employees of the farm headed by her, thereby causing damage in the amount of 4,000 rubles. 

The prosecutor's office of the region will continue to pay close attention to ensuring legality and combating crime in the agricultural sector.

Deputy Head of DepartmentA.N. Zaikin