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The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia held an operational meeting on investigation of crimes in the implementation of national projects

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin, held an operational meeting via videoconference to discuss crime investigations in the implementation of national projects. The meeting was attended by the First Deputy and Deputies of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, along with heads of central departments and regional investigative bodies.

The head of the committee emphasized the nationwide importance of national projects, for which vast budget funds are being allocated. A.I. Bastrykin noted that the six-year period for these strategic programs, which began in 2019, is set to conclude in two months. During the meeting, it was reported that in the past five years, the investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of Russia have sent to courts nearly 1,500 criminal cases involving 1,800 defendants. In the first nine months of this year alone, 653 people, including officials and business executives, have faced criminal charges.

A.I. Bastrykin listened to reports from regional investigative heads who showed deficiencies in this area. For instance, the head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region, E.G. Dolgalev, reported on the reasons for the prolonged investigation of criminal cases related to national project implementation and the low effectiveness of investigative work.

The head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Smolensk Region, A.Yu. Ukhanov, and the acting head of the regional department of the agency for the Bryansk Region, S.A. Starov, reported on the reasons for the decrease in procedural activity in this area.

In the Irkutsk Region, there was noted a weakening in preventive work, and instances were cited where cases were returned for further investigation to eliminate identified deficiencies. The head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Irkutsk Region, A.V. Sitnikov, reported on the measures being taken to address these issues.

Having listened to the reports of territorial investigative departments, A.I. Bastrykin highlighted that 19 national projects are planned for implementation in Russia in 2025. These projects cover various areas of society and are designed to stimulate technological and socio-economic development in the country, with annual funding amounts in the trillions of rubles.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia emphasized the need for law enforcement officers to prevent the misappropriation of budgetary funds. “The budgetary thefts consistently hinder the achievement of goals set by the head of state, which is particularly unacceptable in the current geopolitical situation and during Russia's special military operation. It is essential to bring all guilty parties to strict criminal responsibility and seek full compensation for damages to the state treasury,” added A.I. Bastrykin.

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia instructed to pay special attention to preventive measures to curb potential power abuse, corruption, and inefficient spending at the earliest stages of budget utilization. He also instructed to monitor public signals from citizens, conduct personal meetings, widely engage with public organizations, and respond promptly to incoming reports of law violations and infringements on people’s rights and interests.