MOSCOW, October 3 (RAPSI) – In 2016, prosecutors requested 22 properties worth 45 million rubles ($720,000) owned by officials to be forfeited to the state by lodging 14 respective claims with courts, spokesman for Russia's Prosecutor General’s Office Alexander Kurennoy told journalists on Monday.

According to Kurennoy, only in the first half of 2016 prosecutors launched almost 150 monitoring procedures resulting in 14 claims asking courts to forfeit 22 movable and immovable assets worth 45 million rubles ($720,000), of which 4 claims have already been decided in favor of the prosecution and brought almost 17 million rubles ($270,000) to the state purse.

The Russian federal law adopted to place the matching of officials’ incomes and expenditures under the government scrutiny envisages that in case an official or his/her family spend more than a 3-year family income to purchase real estate, vehicles, or securities, he/she shall be subjected to a special inspection.

In case the official under inspection fails to prove the money has been acquired in a legitimate way, prosecutors lodge case materials with courts, whereas the official needs to prove his or her innocence.

Kurennoy noted that since these powers were vested with the Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors have initiated more than 500 inspections and brought more than 30 forfeiture claims involving 80 properties worth in total more than 200 million rubles (over $3,000,000) before courts. Altogether, courts have decided in favor of the prosecution in 11 cases forfeiting 24 properties worth more than 75 million rubles (about $1,200,000).