Recovery of damages after an offence: the Joined Panel of Prosecutors General of Belarus and Russia held meeting in Brest

Aleksandr Konyuk and Yury Chaika, Prosecutors General of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation, chaired the Joined Panel meeting of Prosecutor General’s Offices of the abovementioned states (hereinafter referred to as the Joined Panel). The agenda of the meeting was the prosecutorial supervision for recovery of damages resulting from an offence. 

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prosecutors General, Vasily Marchuk, Head of Scientific and Practical Center for Law and Order Strengthening Issues under the Prosecutor’s Office, Oksana Kapinus, Rector of the University of Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation, Prosecutors of Regions and city of Minsk, Heads of Structural Divisions, other Public Prosecution Offices from both states. 

Among the invited guests are: Dmitry Mezentsev, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Belarus, Anatoly Lis, Chairperson of Brest Region Executive Committee and Aleksandr Rogachuk, Chairperson of Brest City Executive Committee. 

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus welcomed the participants and noted: “Recovery of damages, inflicted by offences is an important means to restore violated rights and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, to fulfill state obligations in elimination of unlawful offences, aimed to disrupt public safety.” 

The Head of the Belarusian Supervisory Authority has pointed out that public prosecution bodies pay special attention to legislation implementation during preliminary investigation of criminal offenses and law-enforcement proceedings. 

Aleksandr Konuyk mentioned that an effective tool to recover such damages can be initiation of claims by prosecutors. “In this case a victim is interested not only in court restoration of violated rights, but also in actual recovery of damages”- he added. 

Prosecutor’s Office supervises not only work of law-enforcement bodies, but also that of collector’s agencies and other elements of law-enforcement proceedings. 

As to international cooperation in criminal and legal sphere, the Prosecutor General mentioned the following: “In view of globalization, advanced technologies and financial instruments development there are legitimate concerns over unlawful transference of assets abroad, aimed at hiding of property from recovery and laundry of illegal income to use it further in criminal schemes. Obviously, all that impedes work of law-enforcement bodies, who have to identify such assets, return them to the state and provide recovery of damages resulting from offence.” 

Due to the facts, mentioned above, Aleksandr Konyuk has proposed to the Russian colleagues to enhance cooperation for legal support in pre-investigation checks and during investigation of criminal offences: “We have to develop additional mechanisms to stop unlawful transfer of money or other financial assets across the borders and facilitate identification and arrest of property for further recovery of damages.” 

Participants heard reports prepared by Aleksey Stuk and Viktor Grin, Deputy Prosecutors General of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. Open floor discussions were held after that. 

Results of the Joined Panel meeting were finalized in the decision to raise efficiency of prosecutorial supervision and enhance use of all regulatory means, which can eliminate offences, restore legitimate rights of individuals and legal entities, as well as economic rights of state and society. 

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Konyuk, thanked his Russian counterpart, Yury Chaika, for effective and reasonable cooperation in criminal and legal sphere, for sufficient contribution to combat crime and for his assistance in protection of legitimate rights of Belarusian businesses and citizens within the territory of the Russian Federation. 

Heads of Supervisory Authorities Aleksandr Konyuk and Yury Chaika gave interviews to representatives of mass media. 

On the same day Vasily Marchuk, Head of Scientific and Practical Center for Law and Order Strengthening Issues under the Prosecutor’s Office, and Oksana Kapinus, Rector of the University of Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation signed an Agreement for Cooperation, which is aimed at conduction of joined scientific researches of fundamental and applied character on relevant public prosecution bodies’ issues. 

Photo by Valery Karol, newspaper “Zarya” 

Information Office, 
Prosecutor General’s Office