Grey schemes of Lukashenka's clan

The Belarusian security services cover up the illegal business of the dictator and his inner circle.

Major general Valery Vakulchyk, who had headed the Investigation Committee, was appointed KGB chief last November. He is considered for many years to be the main aide to Lukashenka's eldest son Viktor who is in charge of all security bodies. They had worked together in the Operational and Analytical Centre, a special agency that was founded in 2008 to analyse and control the internet. Controlling the most important investigations in the KGB and prosecution bodies, Vakulchyk guaranties impunity for the ruler's people for using “grey” schemes, forsal.pl writes in the article “Lukashenka as mafioso. Security services take care of his interests”.

It helps the Belarusian authorities avoid situations that happen from time to time, when ambitious prosecutors accidentally reveal secrets of Lukashenka's family and the oligarchs close to him. The example is the case of investigator Sviatlana Baikova, who received a prison term for her excessive zeal in exposing corruption schemes on the state border. Customs frauds is not the only activity of the Belarusian authorities. Another Lukashenka's son, Dmitry, who formally heads the Presidential Sports Club, controls Lukashenka's $8-12m fund that apart from official subsidies from the state budget receives income from gambling, arms trade, cigarette business and “fines” from businessmen.

The oligarchs loyal to Lukashenka – Yury Chizh, Anatoly Ternavsky, Viktor Shevtsov, whose Trustbank was used by Saddam Husen to launder money from illegal oil sales, arms dealer Vladimir Peftiyev, whose firm employed Viktar Lukashenka's wife Lilia – help lobby Lukashenka's interests. Shevtsov was reported to have been arrested for hiding a part of the common income, but he returned to the ranks after paying a compensation. KGB headed by Vakulchyk and other persecutory services look for similar cases in Lukashenka's circle or, in other words, guard the money of the Belarusian ruler.