The number of corruption-related crimes involving top government officials and large bribes increased 100% in 2010 year-on-year, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on Thursday.
"Criminal proceedings were launched against some 10,000 officials, one-third of them were started for taking brides," Nurgaliyev said at a session of a Russian presidential council for combating corruption.
More than 20 top Russian officials were brought to trial last year compared with half that number in 2009. "Such cases almost doubled," Nurgaliyev said adding that corruption remains an issue of concern despite efforts taken by the government.
Nurgaliyev said the Russian Interior Ministry plans to speed up efforts to combat corruption. He said the main focus will be made on detecting corruption-related crimes among businessmen and also ministry officials themselves.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched a wholesale reform to clean up corruption but admitted earlier that his anti-corruption drive had so far yielded few practical results.
The Berlin-based non-governmental anti-corruption organization Transparency International has persistently rated Russia as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. In the 2009 Corruption Perception Index, Russia was ranked 146 out of 180 countries, with a ranking below countries like Togo, Pakistan and Libya.
MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti)
