Russia Creates Finance Intelligence
Speaking at a special session of the Davos Economic Forum in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated a new police unit would be created to track criminal incomes and to stop money laundering, RIA Novosti news agency reported. The daily Izvestia says the so-called finance intelligence will be launched from January 2002.
Putin told that the new investigative body would be closely cooperate with Russia's Finance Ministry. The decree to set up the finance watchdog will be signed in the near future, Putin said.
The move was proposed by former Tax Police chief Vyacheslav Soltaganov as far back as in December 2000.
It is unclear who will oversee the new intelligence body. According to Izvestia, Vice-Premier Alexei Kudrin may exercise the supervision.
The President told the session that to fight criminal incomes must not affect banks' privacy policy. The finance intelligence must be able to analyse ordinary in outward appearance deals and to reveal a criminal pattern, Izvestia says.
However there are fears about the possible transformation of the new finance police unit into a witch-hunting body. Several criminal cases have been already launched against top politicians in Russia, the Railways Minister and Liberal Russia party head are among them.
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