ST. PETERSBURG, May 26 (RAPSI) –The number of economic crimes has fallen by 20% after the adoption of a federal law which restricts powers of law enforcement authorities, business ombudsman Boris Titov told President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

“These amendments have had a highly positive effect,” Titov said.

“Of course, there are many unresolved problems yet, but there are problems in all areas,” he said. “However, there has been positive change in the criminal prosecution of businesses... The number of economic crimes has decreased by 20%.”

In 2011, the Interior Ministry was deprived of the right to initiate criminal cases on charges of tax evasion, after mounting complaints from businessmen suffering from alleged corruption and unprovoked inspections.

Besides, a bill proposing an economic crime amnesty spearheaded by Titov was approved by the State Duma in 2013.

The resolution releases from criminal liability, regardless of the designated prison term, individuals convicted or held liable under 27 articles of the Criminal Code related to business activities. For the amnesty to take effect, a suspect or a convict has to return the property or compensate the damages to the complainants.

The amnesty applied not only to individuals serving prison terms but also persons who received non-custodial or suspended sentences or were convicted on parole. Earlier, Presidential Plenipotentiary at the State Duma of the Russian Federation Garry Minkh said that approximately 3,000 convicts must be amnestied.