Corrupted officials will be able to buy out the freedom

Human rights defenders believe that an Institute of agreement with investigators is being developed for government officials and businessmen.

A member of the Human Rights Centre "Viasna" Uladzimir Labkovich commented to website charter97.org on statement of chairman of the Investigative Committee Valerij Vakulchik that a possibility of creating the institute of agreements with the investigation is being worked out in Belarus.

"Institute of agreement with investigation makes it possible to mitigate the punishment for the committed crime during cooperation with the investigation. All of these initiatives that come from Belarus "law enforcement" agencies would be welcomed if they were really law enforcement, and not vice versa "- human rights activist said.

"But this idea is more like the development of different possibilities of avoiding the responsibility when corrupt criminals, addressing Lukashenka and compensating the caused damage, can buy their freedom", - said Uladzimir Labkovich.

"This is primarily made for officials and businessmen who can be caught under investigation. With the institution of agreement with investigation they will be able to escape responsibility by compensating the damage. And, in practice, they have to pay with interest, sometimes amounts are twice higher than the damage done", - said the defender.

"In order to improve procedural legislation, one must in the area of control of the investigating authorities to actually protect the rights of people. In the meantime, we have falsifications and other violations of "law enforcement" agencies, the Institute of agreement with investigation will give opportunity to the investigators to tempt an accused person to escape punishment through this mechanism, without proving the guilt",- said Uladzimir Labkovich.

Recall, on August 27, in the report to Lukashenka, Chairman of the Investigation Committee Valerij Vakulchik said that a possibility of creating the institute of agreements with the investigation is being worked out in Belarus.

This measure, according to Vakulchik "from the one hand, will allow taking into account interests of citizens, and from the other - to optimize the workload of investigators, prosecutors and judges". Lukashenka instructed to study this proposal together with the interested departments.