Lukashenka “presented” 25 hectares of expensive land near Minsk to Arabs

Qatar is actively developing forests in the Minsk region.

The Arabs got the high-priced plot of land for free, in accordance with the document “for official use” that was signed by Lukashenka 2 years ago, Belsat TV reports.

“These are secret schemes that cannot be controlled by the parliament. It demonstrates just one thing: we have a rotten system. Lukashenka created an absolutely uncontrolled scheme,” Anatol Liabedzka, the chair of the United Civil Party (UCP), says.

The cadastral value of 24 hectares near Dubrouskaye Reservoir on the border of the Minsk and Smaliavichy district is about 1 million dollars, Nasha Niva's deputy editor in chief Yahor Martsinovich, who examines the details of the land grant to the Qataris, says. Why are the Belarusian authorities being so generous?

“We can only guess what Belarus as a state or Belarus's top officials as individuals received in response, but the authorities' cooperation with Qatar is rather close. Viktar Lukashenka, a son of the head of state, was usually responsible for the Belarus-Qatar projects.”

The constriction works that began on the land a month ago are wrapped in a mystery, too. There's no information board, but it is known from Lukashenka's decree that a residence and hunting enclosures are being constructed. Construction workers refuse to talk.

“Let our bosses warn us that a television crew is going to shoot a video here. We don't want to be filmed,” a worker says.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree recently concerning lands outside Minsk. Owners of dachas (summer houses) cannot form new gardeners' associations and sell a dacha if it was bought less than five years ago. So, the rights of Belarusian citizens are restricted, but foreigners receive land plots as a gift.

“This is the first step of making the land outside Minsk and regional centres property of Belarusian officials headed by Lukashenka,” Anatol Liabedzka says.

The process is going on. The story with the present to the Qataris is not the first signal to society and not the first example when the head of Belarus treats the state property as if it were his own.