Fiscal service today is associated with law and order. However, few people know that the ancestors of modern regulatory authorities were scammers, whom Peter the Great ordered to monitor petty officials and ordinary people. It was in those days that the word "fiscal" acquired a negative connotation and became synonymous with snitching.
Fiscals - who is this? Concept
Fiscals are people whose duty it was to monitor the work of enterprises, organizations, as well as the observance of laws by individuals. If the fiscal found out about any violations of the law, he reported this to the Senate, which determined the punishment for the violator.
This position was established by Peter the Great in March 1714. To become a fiscal, it was necessary to have high professional qualities and an impeccable reputation. People who had ever been convicted of breaking the law were not hired for this position.
Responsibilities and powers of fiscals
The main duty that the fiscals were supposed to perform was to identify facts of bribery, embezzlement and embezzlement by officials. They were empowered to arrange inspections, interrogations, demand reporting documents if they were suspected of dishonest compliance withlaws.
Fiscals were always present at tax collections at the expense of the state, making sure that debtors paid their obligations on time and in full. For dishonest performance of their duties or deliberately false denunciation, the fiscals under Peter I were prosecuted. But, as a rule, this rarely happened. The Decree “On the Position of Fiscals” provided for the forgiveness of false denunciations to fiscals, since “it is impossible for them to accurately know everything.”
Reason for the disappearance of the post
Fiscals is a secret position that was not popular with the population. Payment of employees of the first fiscal service was carried out exclusively at the expense of fines that were imposed on violators. Half of the fine went to the treasury, a quarter went to local regulatory authorities, and the remaining money went to the fiscal, who carried out the denunciation.
To increase the amount of their income, the fiscals did not disdain false denunciations, took bribes from suspects and corrupt officials. Ultimately, Peter I found out about this and issued a decree on the creation of a new supervisory body - the prosecutor's office, headed by prosecutor generals. Gradually, they completely replaced the fiscals, and this position was abolished.
