CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR ILLEGAL USE OF HUMANITARIAN AID: PROBLEMS OF ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF LEGISLATION

Oleksandr DUDOROV, Roman MOVCHAN, Dmytro KAMENSKYI

DUDOROV O., MOVCHAN R., KAMENSKYI D. (2023), CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR ILLEGAL USE OF HUMANITARIAN AID: PROBLEMS OF ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF LEGISLATION, Scientific Bulletin of Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, № 1, 21-37

DOI: 10.31733/2078-3566-2023-1-21-37

 

ABSTRACT. The article deals with problematic issues related to the interpretation, application and improvement of Art. 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (CC) «Illegal use for profit of humanitarian aid, charitable donations or free aid».

When elucidating the issue of the subject of the analyzed criminal offense, the approach common in practice is critically evaluated, according to which the self-sufficient (decisive) value in the incrimination of Art. 201-2 of the Criminal Code acquires a documented fact of customs clearance of cargo as humanitarian aid. It is argued that for the criminal-legal assessment of abuse of objects that are imported into Ukraine under the guise of humanitarian aid, but are not such in the sense of the Law of Ukraine «On Humanitarian Aid», Art. 222 of the Criminal Code «Fraud with financial resources» and 212 of the Criminal Code «Evasion of payment of taxes, fees (mandatory payments)».

Inconsistencies in the conceptual apparatus of criminal and regulatory legislation are clarified and ways to eliminate them are proposed.

The controversial nature of the fixation in Art. 201-2 of the Criminal Code as a crime-forming feature such as the commission of relevant actions for the purpose of obtaining profit.

Taking into account the provisions of regulatory legislation, the achievements of criminal law science and the development of law enforcement practice, it is subject to a critical analysis of Art. 6.1.7 of the draft of the new Code of Criminal Procedure «Legal acts regarding the disposition of humanitarian aid or charitable donations.» The disadvantages of this potential ban are shown. Arguments are presented in favor of its exclusion from the CC project.

In the legislative plan, the issue of distinguishing the prohibition dedicated to the use of humanitarian aid in the form of goods, work or services, or the subject of a charitable donation or a charitable grant, other than criminal offenses against property, is not intended for its intended purpose.

Keywords: humanitarian aid, charitable donations, criminalization, embezzlement, misappropriation, wasting, fraud, criminal offenses against property, special subject, composition of criminal offense, qualification, criminal responsibility.

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