Russia: Comic book aims to stamp out corruption

Something to declare? "I must admit I completely forgot about the car," says this official

Moscow's city government is using a comic book to educate officials on how to avoid corrupt practices, it's reported.

The book, called "Combating Corruption", has so far been used to teach 30,000 civil servants not to take bribes, the Izvestiya newspaper reports. Created by illustrators from the state-run Moscow City University of Management, it features characters who are put in difficult situations, and offers advice on how to respond. There are also some cautionary tales of officials who have been caught in the act, the paper notes. One section tells officials that while they can accept gifts worth less than 3,000 roubles ($50; £30), they can't take such gifts regularly from the same person.

The use of a comic book is meant to make the material more engaging, its designers say. "We decided to apply a non-standard approach while developing the training," says Olga Vladimirova, a department head at the university. "Our task was to depart from the complex language of legislation and normative acts that is often used in such courses." Izvestiya says high profile city officials are among those who have done the training, including the mayor's deputies.

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