MOSCOW, July 9 (RAPSI) – Lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) have submitted a bill to the State Duma that would toughen penalties for embezzlement from the budget and state extra-budgetary funds, reads a statement in the lower house’s online database.

Penalties for large-scale embezzlement (over 2 million rubles or $35,000) would range from five to ten years in prison along with a ban on holding certain posts or engaging in certain activity for up to ten years.

Penalties would be even harsher if a premeditated crime of this proportion was committed by a group of individuals, if it resulted in grievous bodily harm or death of the injured person(s), or if it involved legal entities created through proxies. In such cases, penalties would range from seven to twelve years in prison in addition to a 12-year ban on holding certain posts or engaging in certain activity.

In case of very large-scale embezzlement (over 30 million rubles or $534,300) committed by a criminal group, or if it resulted in the death of two or more people, penalties would vary between 10 and 20 years’ imprisonment or even a life sentence.

The authors of the bill believe that harsher penalties should be approved for crimes against state and municipal property, because embezzlement from the budget and from state extra-budgetary funds affects the interests of all companies and all people. These crimes undermine public trust in the authorities and create a negative image of officials.