MSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin, today head of the Civil Initiatives Committee, has slammed as a major backward step a draft law to bring back the practice where law enforcement agencies could bypass tax authorities in prosecuting suspected tax crimes. I support those who dont consider it correct to empower law enforcement authorities to bypass tax inspectorates in opening tax crime cases. I simply dont consider this logical in any way, Kudrin said at a meeting of the Stolypin club. Under the current law, put into force in December 2011, the prosecution of suspected tax offenses under Articles 198 and 199 of the Criminal Code can solely be based on documents that have been provided by tax authorities under legislation on taxes and levies. A draft law introduced by President Vladimir Putin last month would allow tax offense proceedings to be based on evidence obtained by law enforcement alone. The planned law would throw as back, Kudrin said. It would be a major backward step. Putin denies that revision of tax legislation would be a clampdown on business MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - President Vladimir Putin has ruled out the possibility of restoring the practice where police were authorized to prosecute violators of tax laws. Putin, who was speaking at a meeting of the supervisory board of the Strategic Initiatives Agency, was referring to proposals for changes to the Criminal Code to adjust it to the 2011 liberalization of tax legislation. He had argued earlier that the liberalized tax laws had practically paralyzed two articles in the code. Whats being proposed is not going back to the former practice and former legal regulation, and to again authorizing [police] to institute criminal proceedings under Articles 198 and 199, he said. It was being proposed that launching criminal action would be the prerogative of the Investigative Committee, which would base it on police evidence, Putin said. I cant see any serious problems there. I mean there are problems there but I dont think that it will all be that complicated and have some serious negative consequences. Moreover, I believe that we are now on the threshold of a decision that would make everyone - both entrepreneurs and people who arent involved in business - understand that it might be a stricter but also a more just decision, he said.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 04:03:06 +0000
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