Ex-Owner of Motovelo Sentenced to 11 years in Prison

Property of Aliaksandr Murayou will be confiscated.

The Frunzenski Court of Minsk pronounced the verdict to former owner of Motovelo and representative of Austrian investor ATEC Investment Aliaksandr Murayou, Radio Svaboda reports.

He found guilty of a number of crimes including tax evasion, deceitful practices. He is sentenced to 11 years in prison and confiscation of property.

The businessman pleaded not guilty and in his speech that last more than 8 hours told about beating when investigation process, threats, coercion to "pay" and attempts to seize his property.

However, former Director General of Motovelo Kazimir Maroz (5 years in prison plus confiscation of property) and his Deputy Tatstsyana Lukavets (1 year in a penal colony settlement) were sentenced as well. At the trial it became known that former Head of Minsk Mikalai Ladudzka, now he runs Motovelo, defended Maroz.

Meanwhile, on 26 January the Economic Court of Minsk started consideration of the claim of the Austrian ATEC Investment Company to invalidate the appointment of Mikalai Ladutko as Director of Motovelo. Aliaksandr Murayou also mentioned illegal appointment of Mikalai Ladudzka as Director of Motovelo.

It will be recalled that the trial of Murayou and top-managers of Motovelo began on October 21. Their criminal case involved five episodes.

The first touched upon shares of OAO Motovelo. In 2007 Austrian ATEC Holding run by Murayou bought them. Within 5 years the investor pledged himself to invest not less than $20 million and $12 of them invest in new equipment. Money was received, but Motovelo did not spend much money on new equipment. The prosecution insisted that the investor had failed to fulfill requirements, mislead the public bodies. As a result, Myrayou required shares of Motovelo valued at 97.7 million rubles.

The businessman was also incriminated tax evasion. According to the prosecution, he established ATEC Trading that was a business agent of Motovelo with suppliers and thus made tax evasion possible. The caused damage amounts to 69.6 thousand rubles. Besides, the businessman was accused of assistance to evade taxes for his brother Siarhei Murayou, director of SP ZAO PosintekhGroup.

Maroz and Lukavets were also tried under two episodes. This is about two agreements.

The first is of 2016 and implied supplies of 4 million glass jars for Motovelo from MVZ SpetsAvto - company under ATEC structure. Motovelo transferred 332 thousand rubles to SpetsAvto, but did not get products. The agreement was drawn up by Lukavets, signed by Maroz, Murayou was charged of organization of simulated contract.

The second agreement OAO Motovelo concluded with Mikalaychanka in 2014, she served as the Deputy Director for Economy and Finance. According to investigators, Mikalaychanka did the same job she was supposed to do as an employee of Motovelo. It caused losses of 82.8 thousand rubles. The agreement was signed by Maroz as well, and drawn up, according to the prosecution, by Murayo's order.

Murayou and Maroz pleaded not guilty, Lukavets gave a full confession.