Uralkali CEO left behind bars

The Minsk city court has left Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner in custody.

The Minsk city court dismissed the appeal by Uralkali chief Vladislav Baumgertner's lawyers against the decision of Minsk's Partyzanski district court on pretrial restrictions, Interfax news agency learnt from lawyer Dzmitry Harachka.

“Our appeal was dismissed. We will appeal to the Supreme Court in the nearest time,” he said on Friday.

Baumgertner's lawyers appealed against the decision of the Partyzanski district court, which ruled not to change pretrial restrictions for the businessman.

On September 6, Minsk's Partyzanski district court dismissed Baumgertner's request to change pretrial restrictions.

Uralkali CEO was detained in Minsk in late August. The Belarusian Investigation Committee charged him of abuse of power and placed him into custody.

The investigation was launched after the breakup between the Russian potash giant and Belaruskali that accounted for 40% of the global market of potash fertilisers. Uralkali and Belaruskali quarreled in late July this year after Uralkali had quit BPC trader, which was founded jointly with Belaruskali. The move put at risk the stability of exports of the Belarusian company.