KGB accused US citizens Joseph Kay and Emanuel Zeltser of “economic espionage”

The KGB investigatory department instituted a criminal case against US citizen Joseph Kay over an article “economic espionage”. His lawyer Emanuel Zeltser has been accused today.

US lawyer Emanuel Zeltser is charged not only with “forgery” of official documents and “drugs possession”, but also with “economic espionage”.

As Interfax learnt from the KGB Center of Information and Public Relations, Emanuel Zeltser is accused of coming crimes over part 2 of article 380 (using fake documents, giving rights, by a group of people by previous concert), part 2 of article 228 (narcotic substances smuggling), part 1 of article 328 (trafficking of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors), and part 1 of article 254 (commercial espionage) of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

Moreover, as the agency has learnt, detained with Zeltser Russia’s citizen Vladlena Bruskova was charged with committing of crimes over part 2 of article 380 (using fake documents, giving rights, by a group of people by previous concert) and part 1 of article 254 (commercial espionage) of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

The KGB investigatory department also instigated a criminal case against US citizen Joseph Kay on the facts provided by part 1 of article 254 (commercial espionage) of the Criminal Code of Belarus, the KGB press service informs.

Why was Emanuel Zeltser arrested in Minsk?

Emanuel Zeltser is a lawyer of US citizen Joseph Kay, a distant relative of Georgian businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili. After Patarkatsishvili’s death on 13 February, J. Kay presented documents, proving he was an executor of his will. The documents were prepared by E. Zeltser, but B. Patarkatsishvili’s relatives say they were forged, after that E. Zeltser was detained in Minsk. On 13 May Tbilisi court has recognized Joseph Kay as a legitimate executor of the will, by this confirming the documents are authentic.

The details of Zeltser’s arrest are not officially commented, as the case is has a status of a state secret.

On 27 May a case on part 1 of article 328 (possession and smuggling of illegal drugs) and part 2 of article 228 (drugs smuggling) of the Criminal Code of Belarus was instituted against E. Zeltser. He hasn’t been presented the charged over the case, which doesn’t have a status of state secret.

Zeltser’s physician appealed to the Prosecutor General Office several times saying the medicines, seized during the detention, are vital for his patient. He also said he had never informed his patient the medicines contained the substances which cab be considered narcotics.

The US Department of State demanded the Belarusian authorities to release the American lawyer immediately. On 25 April the United States consul Caroline Savage visited the arrested man. According to the consul, Zeltser said to her he had been beaten on the second and third days of his detention. The lawyer lost a considerable amount of weight, had difficulty walking and talking.