Four GUBOPik-Related High-Profile Scandals

Even before Karpenkou's inadequate actions, the professionalism of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was questioned.

Recently, the dictator twice gave a "flattering assessment" of the abilities of employees of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK).

One can understand the ruler: GUBOPiK, having turned into "political police", helped him retain power when the public demanded fair elections and compliance with the law.

Among other things, the department's officers and managers detained Maria Kalesnikava (considered by many as a kidnapping), shattered the windows of Cafe O'Petit (even the Kremlin called these actions "hooliganism"), and the notorious tape of Karpenkou (independent expertise proved his voice) about the plans to establish camps for protesters.

Meanwhile, there were rumours until 2020 that GUBOPiK might have to be disbanded since there had been no organized crime in the country for a long time. The evaluation of the department's work (even by the authorities) was different.

Salidarnasts tells about scandals related to the GUBOPiK before the well-known events.

Scandal with assistance to drug traffickers

2016. A resonant "case of seventeen" is being considered in court: drug dealers led by Konstantin Vilyuga and their assistants are in the dock. Among the latter is a former employee of the department, Konstantin Denisevich.

According to the prosecution, the lieutenant colonel "covered up" Viliuga's criminal business. At first, the officer was sentenced to 14 years, but the Supreme Court had mercy. It resulted in eight years in a colony.

Scandal with the theft of 270 thousand dollars.

2017. Right from the building of the GUBOPiK (!) disappears a large amount of confiscated money: 270 thousand dollars.

After a while, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihar Shunevich says the money was stolen by a police officer: "I can only say one thing: there are freaks in the family. It's a shame for him and his family".

Subsequent reports show the employee of GUBOPiK was able to leave unhindered to Ukraine, then to Romania. The special services could not bring him back.

The scandal with the cases against the MZKT chief engineer and his lawyer

Officers of the GUBOPiK detained Andrei Golovach back in 2015. In the following years, he spent behind bars and fought corruption charges against himself. In early 2018, the court acquitted the MZKT chief engineer. On the same day, GUBOPiK detained him again.

Moreover, in 2019, the GUBOPiK opened two criminal cases against the chief engineer's lawyer, Vera Oreshko. She was accused of disclosing investigative information and keeping ammunition and a gun at home.

Soon Golovach was finally found innocent, and the criminal charges against his lawyer were terminated by the Prosecutor's Office due to a lack of evidence.

Even Lukashenka was indignant with the case of the engineer: "I don't understand how one can detain a person, put him in a detention facility (not even in prison,) and keep him there for four years? To keep this man and then release him due to lack of evidence. The fact is that this is law enforcement licentiousness".

"Sugar Mafia" scandal

Early 2020. Sugar case hits the country. Law enforcers detain the heads of sugar mills and the former deputy head of the GUBOPiK Uladzimir Tsikhinya (he resigned at the end of 2019). In late August, he was released on recognizance not to leave.

In a recent commentary to tut.by, former GUBOPiK head Mikalai Karpenkou offered to learn from BT reports: "Central Belarusian TV showed everything. You have to turn to the Belarusian TV, the press, normal commentators, journalists who give you the facts".

BT TV channel says the following about his former deputy: "Uladzimir Tsikhinya, fighter against corruption and banditry in the 90s and 2000s, was involved in a corrupt scheme in the sugar industry. He covered the criminal group and its scheme for a fee. The operative shooting confirms it".