Putin forces heads of Cossacks to report on their income
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law according to which Cossack atamans and members of their families are obligated to report on their income. The document with corresponding amendments to the legislation was published on the official legal information portal.
The president introduced amendments to the law “on the state service of Russian Cossacks”. According to the document, the income and property of the ataman, his spouse and underage children must be in the income declaration. If an ataman does not provide this information, he could be removed from his position.
Furthermore, the amendments concern situations in which the atamans of Cossack communities recorded in the state register have an official position working for the state, to which the anti-corruption restrictions apply. If an ataman does such a job, he must decline the payments he receives in the Cossack organization. This concerns both salaries and other profits from revenue generating activity.
Additionally, the amendments specify that in order to prevent a conflict of interests, members of a Cossack host who have state positions to which restrictions apply cannot be candidates for the position of an army ataman.