Pilipets gets 5-year sentence

A former chairman of the Homel city executive committee has received a prison term.

The verdict was delivered by the Mahilou regional court.

“Viktar Pilipets is punished with five years of imprisonment in a medium security correctional facility and confiscation of property. He cannot hold the posts relating to organisational and administrative activities for a period of five years,” the press service of the Belarusian Supreme Court told Interfax-West news agency.

The court found Pilipets guilty of abusing his power and office, namely, the intentional use of his power as a high-ranking executive official to commit actions for his personal interests contrary to the interests of his office that caused substantial damage to the rights and legal interests of citizens, as well as to the state and public interests.

The sentence can be appealed against and disputed in the Supreme Court's judicial division for criminal cases.

Pilipets said in his final statement that “flagrant and sometimes illegal methods” had been used during the investigation. He said even the property of witnesses had been seized, which he considers to be outrageous actions by certain members of the investigative team.