Prime Minister Mitya despite sympathy to the actor Gerard Depardieu urged heads of the Russian regions to show restraint in making such presents as apartment to newly made citizen of the Russian Federation (for today Depardieu is already the owner of apartments in Saransk and Grozny). "I would recommend some of our governors to make presents more accurately because we have big turns to get them and far not always people can use mortgage. When not the poorest people receive apartments as a present — it, of course, causes social tension," — Medvedev told in interview to a number of the European mass media and to the Russian agency "Interfax".
At the same time he noticed that he understands desire of the Russian authorities "to make something pleasant to the known person" and hoped that Depardieu "will have interesting life in different territories of the Russian Federation".
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From editorial board: In fact Prime Minister Mitya is right at last - well, what damn presents could be for the state account? Though why this question is brought up by the prime minister and not by independent and incorruptible General Prosecutor? Thus it should be done not in soft and exhortative manner, but in the form of investigation of the criminal case according to the article 285 of the Criminal Code "Abuse of Official Powers":
1. Use by an official of his powers, contrary to the interests of the civil service, if this deed has been committed out of mercenary or any other personal interests and has involved a substantial violation of the rights and lawful interests of individuals or organizations, or the legally-protected interests of the society or the State,
shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of 100 to 200 minimum wages, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two months, or by disqualification to hold specified offices or to engage in specified activities for a term of up to five years, or by arrest for a term of four to six months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to four years.
Or according to the article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Exceeding Official Powers”:
1. Commission by an official of actions which transcend the limits of his powers and which involve a substantial violation of the rights and lawful interests of individuals or organizations, or the legally-protected interests of society and the State, shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of 100 to 200 minimum wages, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two months, or by disqualification to hold specified offices or to engage in specified activities for a term of up to five years, or by arrest for a term of four to six months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to four years.
2. The same deed, committed by a person holding a government post of the Russian Federation or a government post of a subject of the Russian Federation, or by the head of a local self-government body,
shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of 500 to 800 minimum wages, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of five to eight months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to seven years, with disqualification to hold specified offices or to engage in specified activities for a term of up to three years, or without such disqualification.
So, it’s in general obvious that apartments were allocated to citizen Depardieu from the state fund bypassing existing turn. I sincerely doubt that citizen Depardieu has though some lawful bases for receiving state housing in Chechnya or Mordovia. As citizen Depardieu accepted those apartments as gifts, the prosecutor's office should have considered his role as accomplice. The fact that the Frenchman doesn't know the Russian laws is not an excuse (ignorance of the law is no excuse) - he accepted nationality, didn't he?
While it’s more than clear with misters holding state positions in the subjects of the Russian Federation – it’ clear to the citizens, but not to the Prosecutor General's Office. Even Mitya-premier understands it, he is the candidate of jurisprudence after all.
Anatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk
