Scandalous draft law on vehicle confiscation will be send to parliament

The Prosecutor General office’s suggestions on toughening the punishment for drunk driving will soon be sent to the parliament.

“As to the confiscation of cars, then all the documents have been prepared and have made through the law making procedures”, - Belarus’ Prosecutor General Aliaksandr Koniuk told to journalists on Friday in Minsk, Interfax reports.

We would remind that in January 2013 suggestions were sent to Lukashenka’s administration on toughening the punishment for drunk driving.

It is suggested to increase the amounts of the fines, confiscate vehicles for drunk driving and also increase the imprisonment terms provided for causing a road accident while drunk driving up to 10 years.

Particularly, it is suggested to confiscate cars from drivers, caught driving drunk for the second time within a year. The confiscation is provided to be carried out regardless of who the owner of the car is. The confiscated vehicles will be converted to the state’s revenues.

Apart from that it is suggested to increase the amount of the fines for drunk driving and also the imprisonment terms for committing a fatal road accident.

It is suggested to introduce the fine for drunk driving of the amount from 5 to 10 million Belarusian roubles, which means from 50 to 100 basic units (1 basic unit is 100 thousand Belarusian roubles). Now the fine’s amount is between 15 and 35 basic units.

It is also suggested to amend the article 317 of the Criminal Code “Violation of traffic rules”. The suggestion foresees the introduction of parts 4 and 5: part 4 would provide for the punishment of 4 to 7 years in prison for causing a road accident when drunk driving with one person dead, now it is 5 years. Part 5 would provide for the imprisonment from 5 to 10 years for committing a road accident while drunk driving when two or more people died as the result.