Independent Journalist Wins Over Officials

Uladzimir Laptsevich decided to bring Mahiliou officials to responsibility.

Journalist Uladzimir Laptsevich has been trying to subject official of the Leninski district administration Kanstantsin Kistseneu to responsibility for several months. Apparently, he is about to succeed, mspring.online writes.

Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee Andrei Kuntsevich authorized the district administration to start investigation with regard to the employee of the department for communal utilities and development Kanstantsin Kistseneu.

On April 29, a meeting of the members of the garage cooperative ''Sputnik 2008'' took place in the premises of the Leninski district administration in Mahiliou. The members of the cooperative invited BelaPAN journalist Uladzimir Laptsevich to cover the event. However, representative of the district authorities Kanstantsin Kistseneu refused to let the reporter into the hall. The journalist filed a complaint to the Leninski district department of the interior, asking to subject the official to administrative responsibility for exceeding office duties. The police terminated the check against Kistseneu in October - for the fifth time since May.

During the said period of time, the BelaPAN correspondent appealed the decisions of the police and other state bodies, addressed to the city executive committee, but was denied everywhere.

The situation improved when Laptsevich addressed to the regional executive committee:

''The Leninski district administration has been authorized to start internal investigation, and in case of establishment the fact of violation of the current legislation to consider the issue of subjecting Kanstantsin Kistseneu to disciplinary responsibility,'' — stated in the response of the Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee Andrei Kuntsevich.

Laptsevich also achieved punishment for district inspector of the Leninski district department of the interior Aliaksandr Shmayenkou, who was one of the first to handle the check with regard to Kanstantsin Kistseneu. The administration of internal affairs of the Mahiliou regional executive committee subjected the policeman to material responsibility for having failed to even interrogate both Laptsevich and the witnesses of the incident, that happened on April 29.

Alongside with that, deputy head of the administration of internal affairs Uladzimir Ryzhankou stated in the official written response that the term for subjecting Kanstantsin Kisteneu to responsibility has expired, so the police had no intention to punish him.