Salzburg prosecutors investigate Lukashenka’s case

Prosecutors have financial documents showing big spending of Lukashenka and his retinue in the Alps.

Radio Svaboda learnt this from Austrian sport expert and journalist Erwin Roth.

This year, Erwin Roth published in leading mass media shocking details about Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his retinue’s holidays in the Alps in 2002. The Belarusian ruler, his sons Viktar and Dzmitry, as well as Uladzimir Kanaplyou, Iryna Abelskaya (who is said to be mother of Kolya, Lukashenka’s younger son), Halina Zhuraukova, Uladizmir Makei, Natallya Pyatkevich, and others made a trip on an invitation of then head of Austrian National Olympic Committee and director of a casino network Leo Wallner. According to Erwin Roth, prosecutors in Salzburg think a criminal case should be initiated against Wallner and Casinos Austria company.

The materials given to prosecutors by Roth show that the Austrian NOC, which allegedly sent an official invitation to delegation headed by Lukashenka (who was officially banned from entering the EU), didn’t have any relation to the visit. The trick was that NOC head Wallner invited NOC head Lukashenka. In real fact, none NOC representatives except for Wallner didn’t meet with the delegation.

Under the financial documents given to prosecutors, the Austrian party spent at least 200,000 euros on Lukashenka’s holidays. The trip was paid by means of off-book schemes or a secret bank account of the Austrian NOC. In real fact, all bills were paid by Casinos Austria. Among the expenses are paying to hotels, an air company (Lukashenka was injured and needed a helicopter to take him from a mountain to a private doctor), paying for medical services, ski training for 11 members of the Belarusian delegation, bus rent for 34 people, Lukashenka’s visits to casino, alcohol drunk by the Belarusian delegation, etc.

Local observers regard the story that took place eight years ago as a big Austrian scandal.

Was it promotion of someone’s business interests in the Belarusian market? If it was so, who had such interests? Salzburg prosecutors hope to find answers to these questions.