Baumgertner officially charged

Belarusian investigative agencies brought official charges against Uralkali CEO on Thursday evening.

Interfax news agency has learnt it from a source close to the businessman's lawyers.

Baumgertner heard the charges with violating part 3 of article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (abuse of power) in the presence of two Belarusian lawyers, the source says.

The source reminds that the Investigation Committee said about bringing charges against Baumgertner on Monday, five hours after his arrest. “So, the investigative agencies of Belarus gave wrong information about Baumgertner's legal status,” he thinks.

The Russian side doesn't have process documents, the source says.

It became known on Thursday evening that a probe into the Belarusian Potash Company was launched in Belarus. If facts of violations are confirmed, lawsuits will be filed and Uralkali's assets will be arrested.

“The ground for the probe was a number of facts revealed by the Investigation Committee that can violate the Belarusian legislation,” Dzianis Bartash, the deputy chairman of the secretariat of the Belarusian State Control Committee, said on TV.

Bartash mentioned “violations of tax legislation, failure to return foreign currency revenues received abroad and selling tens of thousands of tonnes of Belaruskali products through Uralkali-controlled structures.

“The confirmation of these facts will serve as a ground to prepare and file lawsuits and initiate a procedure of arresting assets and goods of Uralkali's structures, including those abroad,” Bartash added.

Vladislav Baumgertner, Uralkali CEO and chairman of the supervisory board of the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) was arrested in Minsk on August 26 for abuse of power.