State Duma ratifies CoE anti-terrorism convention
MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - The State Duma ratified on Friday the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism.
Russia signed the convention in Strasbourg on January 26, 2009.
"Some provisions of this convention allow for multi-variant measures the countries may take to fulfill their obligations. Hence, the federal bill refers to Russian legislative requirements," an explanatory note to the instrument of ratification said.
For instance, the bill specified in which cases confiscations prescribed by the convention might happen in compliance with the Russian Criminal Code.
"The adoption of this bill will require modification of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses regarding administrative liability of legal entities for legalization (laundering) of illegal income," the note said.
This is required by Article 10 of the Convention, which says, "Each Party shall adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to ensure that legal persons can be held liable for the criminal offences of money laundering established in accordance with this Convention, committed for their benefit by any natural person, acting either individually or as part of an organ of the legal person, who has a leading position within the legal person."
The implementation of this convention will raise the efficiency of Russia's interaction with other states in the suppression of money laundering and financing of terrorism, "will create additional opportunities for developing international contacts of relevant agencies in the detection, seizure and confiscation of illegal income, will heighten legal guarantees of this cooperation, and will become another proof of Russia's wish to fight such crimes," the note said.
State Secretary and Deputy Director of the Financial Monitoring Service Pavel Livadny presented the document at the State Duma.
