Official of Baranavichy accepts food bribes not as executive committee member but as “friend and fellow”

Ihar Stasevich, a former deputy chairman of the Baranavichy city executive committee charged with accepting bribes, tried to appeal against the verdict.

The judicial division for criminal cases in the Supreme Court of Belarus heard the criminal case on the cassation appeal filed by former deputy chairman of the Baranavichy city executive committee Ihar Stasevich and his lawyers against the decision of the Brest regional court of February 26. The court decision was upheld, and the appeal was dismissed, the Supreme Court informs.

The Brest regional court found Ihar Stasevich guilty of accepting bribes and sentenced him to three years in a medium security correctional facility, the confiscation of all property and forbade him to hold posts connected with carrying out organisational and administrative activities for three years. The official accepted food as bribes, telegraf.by reports.

Yulia Liaskova, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court, wrote on Facebook that the former official noted in the appeal that he “didn't accept sausages, smoked meat, vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce) and a bottle of cognac”. According to him, he didn't give instructions to receive “food (buns, pancakes, pizza, chebureks, sausages, chicken and fish)” in the buffet. He received food “not as a deputy chairman, but as a friend and fellow”. The official said he hadn't accepted fruits as a bribe. “A watermelon is not a fruit, it's a berry. I didn't accept fruits,” he said.