DATE=2/25/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42704
TITLE=RUSSIA CORRUPTION - PART ONE
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RUSSIA'S INTERIOR MINISTRY SAYS 18-THOUSAND PUBLIC
OFFICIALS WERE DETAINED LAST YEAR ON CORRUPTION CHARGES. DURING
THE SAME PERIOD, 14 RUSSIAN GENERALS WERE SENT TO JAIL FOR
FINANCIAL OFFENSES AND ABUSE OF POWER. A RECENT INTERNATIONAL
SURVEY LISTED RUSSIA AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S FIVE MOST CORRUPT
COUNTRIES. (IN THIS FIRST OF A TWO PART SERIES,) V-O-A MOSCOW
CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN REPORTS LIFE IN RUSSIA NOW OFTEN
IMITATES THE MOVIES WHICH IMITATE LIFE.
TEXT:
/// SOUNDS OF SHOOTING - FADE UNDER ///
THIS RUSSIAN MOVIE CALLED "THE CLASSIC" IS A TALE OF LIFE IN
RUSSIA'S CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD. IN ONE SCENE, GANG MEMBERS ATTEMPT
TO BRIBE POLICE WHO HAVE STOPPED THEIR CAR.
/// MOVIE DIALOGUE - FADE UNDER ///
THE HERO, A GANG LEADER, TELLS A POLICEMAN, LOOK, COMMANDER, WE
ARE NOT CHILDREN. LET'S AGREE ON A PRICE.
SUCH SCENES ARE CERTAINLY NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HOLLYWOOD
PRODUCES. BUT IN RUSSIA, INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ALSO ARE AN
EVERYDAY PART OF REAL LIFE.
CRIME AND CORRUPTION ARE NOTHING NEW HERE. THE EARLY 19TH
CENTURY HISTORIAN NIKOLAI KARAMZIN, WHEN ASKED TO SUM UP IN ONE
WORD THE PEOPLE'S CHARACTER, REPLIED, "THEY STEAL."
THAT BELIEF HAS BEEN REINFORCED IN THE POST-SOVIET ERA, AS
CRIMINAL GANGS MOVED INTO ALMOST EVERY AREA OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY.
SYNDICATED JOURNALIST MASHA GESSEN NOTES THAT, WITH RUSSIA'S
RECENT ECONOMIC TURMOIL, TRADITIONAL MAFIA GROUPS ARE
ENCOUNTERING FIERCE NEW COMPETITION FROM THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF.
/// GESSEN ACT ///
WHAT'S FUNNY IS THAT THE CRISIS MIRRORS WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN THE COUNTRY AT LARGE. THE INFORMAL MAFIA, THE
CRIMINAL MAFIA, IS BEING PUSHED OUT BY THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT MAFIA. SO THE PROTECTION RACKETS THAT WERE
PRIVATELY RUN ARE NOW BEING RUN BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
STRUCTURES.
/// END ACT ///
ANALYST GEORGY SATAROV, THE CO-AUTHOR OF A RECENT STUDY TITLED
"WHO'S WHO IN RUSSIAN CORRUPTION," SAYS OFFICIAL THEFT COSTS THE
GOVERNMENT 20-BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, A FIGURE ALMOST EQUAL TO
THE ENTIRE FEDERAL BUDGET.
/// SATAROV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE TO TRANSLATION ///
THERE WAS A CHECK BY THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AT ONE
CUSTOMS POINT WHERE ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE
IMPORTED. IT SHOWED THAT IN TWO MONTHS, FROM THE BRIBES
THAT CUSTOMS INSPECTORS TOOK, THE UNDERPAYMENT OF DUTIES
WAS 150-MILLION DOLLARS. THAT IS JUST TWO MONTHS AT ONE
CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT.
/// END ACT ///
MR. SATAROV SAYS CORRUPTION IS EVERYWHERE, FROM THE TOP LEVELS
OF GOVERNMENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE POLICE OFFICER ON THE
STREET.
/// 2ND SATAROV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE TO TRANSLATION ///
IF A PERSON HAS NO RESPECT FOR THE LAW, HE JUST BREAKS
IT. TO AVOID RISK, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. SO IN YOUR
CAR, WITH YOUR DOCUMENTS, YOU KEEP A BILL. IT IS A
PRECAUTIONARY PAYMENT TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THE LAW. AND
BOTH SIDES UNDERSTAND THIS. IF THE GOVERNMENT OPPRESSES
THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE HAVE TO BUY THE GOVERNMENT.
/// END ACT ///
RUSSIA'S ACTING PROSECUTOR GENERAL YURI CHAIKA RECENTLY
COMPLAINED THAT COURTS HAVE BEEN TOO GENTLE WITH CORRUPT
OFFICIALS. BUT MANY WONDER JUST HOW TOUGH THE CHIEF PROSECUTOR,
OR ANY OTHER OFFICIAL, CAN BE IN A COUNTRY WHERE CORRUPTION
PERVADES EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
GENERAL CHAIKA'S COMMENTS CAME ON HIS SECOND DAY ON THE JOB. HIS
PREDECESSOR, FORMER PROSECUTOR GENERAL YURI SKURATOV SUDDENLY
RESIGNED THIS MONTH, OSTENSIBLY ON GROUNDS OF POOR HEALTH.
MR. SKURATOV IS 47-YEARS OLD, WITH NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF
ILLNESS.
THE PROSECUTOR QUIT ONE DAY AFTER HIS OFFICE OPENED A CRIMINAL
CASE AGAINST RUSSIA'S BIGGEST CARMAKER, AVTOVAZ. AVTOVAZ HAS
CLOSE TIES WITH CONTROVERSIAL BUSINESS TYCOON BORIS BEREZOVSKY,
WHO HAS LONG BOASTED OF HIS INFLUENCE WITHIN THE KREMLIN, AND HIS
CLOSE TIES WITH TATYANA DYACHENKO, THE POWERFUL DAUGHTER OF
PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN. (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/JWH
25-Feb-99 9:43 AM EST (1443 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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