Is Russia corrupt? Absolutely.

Last updated 2020 (click here)

Snapshot

Corruption significantly impedes businesses operating or planning to invest in Russia. High-level and petty corruption are common, especially in the judicial system and public procurement. The business environment suffers from inconsistent application of laws and a lack of transparency and accountability in the public administration. Russia’s regulatory inefficiency substantially increases the cost of doing business and has a negative effect on market competition. The Russian Federal Anti-Corruption Law (in Russian) requires companies to actively implement anti-corruption compliance programs. However, compliance with these provisions in practice is lagging behind. Russian law criminalizes active and passive bribery, facilitation payments, gifts and other benefits. However, effective enforcement of anti-corruption legislation is hindered by a politicized and corrupt judicial system.

There is more to the assessment than this paragraph summary. This assessment spells out very clearly that Russia has rampant corruption. No one is enforcing laws on the books to end corruption. Russia is so corrupt, that the laws are nothing more than a decoration for Russia to say they have anti-corruption measures. None of the enforcement is real, UNLESS, you are an oppositional candidate to Vladimir Putin. Every person opposing Putin is automatically corrupt and worthy of prison.

But, Putin is a saint and should not be bothered with such details of corruption within his administration or the accounting in the "Panama Papers."

Not only is Russia corrupt, but, it's president leads the country in being corrupt.

April 3, 2016
By Luke Harding

A network of secret offshore deals (click here) and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

An unprecedented leak of documents shows how this money has made members of Putin’s close circle fabulously wealthy.

Though the president’s name does not appear in any of the records, the data reveals a pattern – his friends have earned millions from deals that seemingly could not have been secured without his patronage.

The documents suggest Putin’s family has benefited from this money – his friends’ fortunes appear his to spend.

The files are part of an unprecedented leak of millions of papers from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. They show how the rich and powerful are able to exploit secret offshore tax regimes in myriad ways....