Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has made the fight against corruption one of his top priorities since coming to office in May, signing a decree to set up a presidential anti-corruption council just two weeks after his inauguration.
Sergei Fridinsky said that while the total number of crimes had declined in the country, crime-related offences in January-September 2008 soared 220% among the interior troops, 60% in the Emergencies Ministry, more than 10% in the border guard units of the Federal Security Service, and 24% in the Defense Ministry.
He said that among these crimes, instances of bribe-taking and office abuse increased 50%, and that over a half of offences related to encroachments on military property and budget funds.