Russia launches initiative to ban travel for corrupt officials

Russia launched an initiative at the G20 summit to ban officials suspected of corruption from international travel, the media reported, September 6.

“Russia has asked G20 members to create a special body authorized to block officials’ rights to international travel if they are suspected of corruption,” internet news portal RT reported.

The initiative is also reportedly geared toward curbing corruption plaguing the building of sports facilities, something that is reportedly a large problem for Russian construction projects for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The G20’s anti-corruption unit is reportedly thinking of putting together a group of experts to deal with the possible denial of entry for officials suspected of corruption, to member states.

“We hope to begin implementing the plan next year, but there are problems with the definition of people involved in corrupt activity: whether it’s people charged with corruption or people the media suspect of corruption,” Dmitry Feoktistov, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s New Challenges and Threats Department, commented, according to the Moscow Times.

Putin stepped up the battle against corruption in Russia following a wave of scandals, which swept through the Kremlin in 2012, resulting in a number of high profile resignations.

Russian Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov resigned from office in November 2012, as an investigation into corrupt real-estate transactions was launched. A few days later Yuri Urlichich, head of Russia’s flagship global positioning system, was dismissed when a Ministry of Interior investigation discovered fraud in the project for at least RUB 6.5 bln [USD 200 mln].