Coordinate efforts

A coordination meeting on combating crime and corruption in the Vitebsk region was held at the regional prosecutor's office, which addressed topical issues of the enforcement of legislation by criminal prosecution bodies when considering applications and reports, investigating criminal cases of missing persons, and searching for accused persons and individuals evading punishment or other criminal liability measures.

In the speeches of the Deputy Prosecutor of the region Guk V.I., the Head of the Department for Financial Investigations of the KGB of the Republic of Belarus for the Vitebsk region Saparov R.Z., the Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus for the Vitebsk region Metelitsa I.V., and other officials, it was noted that law enforcement agencies are taking organizational and practical measures aimed at complying with the specified legislation.

At the same time, issues of effective interaction between preliminary investigation bodies and operational services in the search for missing citizens and persons who have committed crimes remain relevant.

Over the past five years, the number of wanted missing persons in the Vitebsk region has increased (from 420 to 459 people).

The analysis of investigative and search practices indicates that, often, preliminary investigation and search operations in this category of cases are carried out unsystematically and uncoordinatedly.

In particular, individual investigators do not ensure the study of search files and the timely resumption of preliminary investigation to verify significant information (Polotsk Investigative Committee Department, Orsha Investigative Committee Department, Tolochin Investigative Committee Department, Glubokoe Investigative Committee Department).

Preliminary investigation bodies do not always provide a correct legal assessment of situations related to the disappearance of persons, which leads to the actual concealment of grave and particularly grave crimes, including those against individuals (Polotsk Investigative Committee Department, Braslav Investigative Committee Department, Vitebsk City Investigative Committee Department).

Issues of searching for persons who have committed crimes remain relevant (this year, the number of undiscovered criminals in the region has increased from 353 to 362).

At the same time, in a number of regions, operational services do not explore possible connections of suspects with relatives and other persons, and information aimed at establishing the whereabouts of criminals is not fully verified.

The organization of investigative activities in the financial investigations bodies of the Vitebsk region does not meet the requirements. Work on individual investigative cases is formalized or practically not carried out. For persons who are wanted, operational-search activities are not carried out for a long time. These violations became possible due to the lack of quality departmental control.

In general, the discussion of these issues showed that the consideration of applications and reports, the investigation of criminal cases of citizens' unknown disappearance, the search for accused persons and persons evading punishment or other criminal liability measures requires the activation of efforts by all law enforcement agencies.

Based on the results of the discussion, a corresponding decision was made aimed at improving the activities of these services in this area of work.

Prosecutor of the Organizational and Control Department S.A. Prigun.