Russian Kingpins Won’t Sleep at Night as Putin Proposes Game-Changing Bill

Corruption is Everywhere - in Russia

Game-changer at street-level, at least, but potentially a threat to oligarchs

© Global Look Press / Alexey Myakishev

President Vladimir Putin wants to give crime bosses hard time. He has proposed legislation to jail crime lords just for accepting a leading position in the criminal world.

In the Russian Criminal Code, one could be jailed for organizing and leading a mob only if they are found guilty of involvement in a crime. Leaders of crime gangs often avoid punishment, as they aren’t involved in crime personally, even if their position within a gang is widely known, Putin explained in a comment on the proposal.

The new legislation would eliminate this loophole. It would make accepting or being chosen for the position of a gang boss a criminal offence, punishable by up to 15 years in jail. As kingpins are often chosen during mob boss gatherings, participation in a such meeting would also become an offence.

Currently, if police raid a meeting of mob bosses, most participants walk free because they haven’t committed a crime themselves. If the new amendment passes Parliament, the participants of such a get-together could land themselves in jail for up to 20 years.

This is a good attack on street-level organized crime, but will do nothing, except perhaps cause some minor nervousness, among the oligarchs who are the real heads of criminal organizations in Russia.

The nervousness I refer to might come from some oligarchs who's organizations might be declared criminal, and the oligarch, as head of a criminal organization, might be eligible for the new law. Oligarchs had better watch their backs and be careful whom they offend.