A Russian legal expert has warned that civil servants accepting paid business consultations could face bribery charges under current legislation.
Dmitry Grigoryadi, a partner at the law firm Korelsky, Ishchuk, Astafyev and Partners (KIAP), stated on April 12 that such payments must not exceed market rates. He emphasized that if an offer exceeds the annual salary of a professor for one hour of lecture, it is likely to constitute a bribe.
“If you are in the civil service, forget about paid business consultations. Completely,” Grigoryadi explained. “The law allows scientific and teaching activities, but the payment must be commensurate with the market.”
According to Grigoryadi, any property benefits—including discounts on real estate or vacation packages—received for similar services fall under bribery charges. He noted that even benefits provided to relatives are considered bribes by the Supreme Court, and Rosfinmonitoring monitors all transaction chains.
Additionally, he referenced a Supreme Court resolution stating that funds received through official contracts for service provision can also be deemed bribes. Under this interpretation, any property benefit obtained in connection with an official position is considered a bribe if the recipient works within the sphere of influence of an official.
Grigoryadi also warned that businesses purchasing consulting services may face criminal liability under Article 291 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers “giving a bribe.”
Separately, Mikhail Avdeenko, deputy chairman of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education, cautioned on December 21 that New Year’s gifts for teachers should not exceed 3,000 rubles per item. He stated that this limit is set by civil code provisions and applies to each gift individually.
