Citizens ask to consider influence peddling the omission or delay of administrative procedures

Proposes a reform of the Penal Code to apply to those who allow themselves to be corrupted the penalties provided for their inducers

MADRID, 12 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Citizens has registered in Congress a proposal to reform the Penal Code so that influence peddling is considered both the omission and the delay or the speeding up of administrative or judicial acts in exchange for obtaining some benefit for the official or public authority that incurs in that behavior or for a third party.

In addition, the training proposes that the penalties already provided for those who induce the commission of this type of crime also apply to people who allow themselves to be corrupted and end up committing them.

Specifically, the Citizens' bill, to which Europa Press has had access, defends the modification of articles 428 and 429 of the Penal Code. The first refers to the crimes of influence peddling induced by officials or public authorities and the second to those concocted by individuals.

Currently, only officials or authorities are punished who, taking advantage of their position or their personal or hierarchical relationship, incite others to "get a resolution that can directly or indirectly generate an economic benefit for themselves or for a third party."

The penalties provided for the inducers of these acts are as follows: imprisonment from six months to two years, fines equal to twice the benefit obtained or pursued, and special disqualification from employment or public office and from exercising the right to passive suffrage by a period of five to nine years. If the desired benefit is obtained, they will have to prevail in its upper half.

Ciudadanos maintains that "it is absolutely essential that in influence peddling crimes the official or authority that allows itself to be influenced is also punished", that is, that only the figure of the influential ceases to be considered punishable.

That is why he asks that these penalties affect both the corrupters and the corrupted and that, in addition, incitement to carry out "an act contrary to the inherent duties" of the position of the official who is intended to be used, or that do not carry out, delay or expedite a practice that you are obliged to carry out, in exchange for your own benefit or that of another person.

In parallel, Ciudadanos suggests changing article 429 of the Penal Code to punish individuals who influence an official or public authority to commit influence peddling with the performance, omission, delay or speeding up of a specific act, in exchange for a benefit for yes or for a third party.

"Influence peddling represents the criminal political decision to anticipate the barriers of punishability to a stage prior to acts of corruption, repressing any attempt to interfere in public function from the preparation phase," argues the orange party, emphasizing that this reform is necessary to "reconcile a correct criminal anti-corruption policy".