In Minsk, A Former Employee Of A Company Wanted A Million In Exchange For His Silence

12.11.2026, 10:13

Details of a major blackmail case.

In Minsk, investigators have concluded a criminal case against a 36-year-old former employee of a local cosmetics manufacturer who demanded one million rubles from his former employer in exchange for not disclosing information. The man proposed transferring the money under the guise of purchasing antiques, and promised to leave the country after receiving the full amount. The Investigative Committee provided details to the state news agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

News of the Minsk resident’s arrest broke in early September. At that time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that he had worked for two years as a department head at a cosmetics manufacturer and had been gathering information about the company’s financial and operational activities. After being fired, the man took a job with a competitor and then demanded one million rubles from the 35-year-old female head of his former company in exchange for his silence. He was detained during another meeting with the woman.

In August 2026, after he had already been fired, the Minsk resident sent an email to his former employer listing alleged violations he had uncovered and speculations about illegal schemes involving business partners. He threatened to pass all this information on to government agencies.

After receiving the email, the company’s deputy director arranged a meeting with the former employee. During the conversation, the man demanded that one million rubles be transferred to him within three days, promising in return to destroy the information he had gathered and leave the country.

“To give his illegal actions the appearance of legitimacy, he proposed drawing up a contract for the sale of antique items,” the Investigative Committee reported.

The deputy director reported the incident to company management and the company’s lawyer, after which she contacted the police. The man was later detained by officers from the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK).

During questioning, he stated that he had demanded one million rubles as compensation for emotional distress because he did not agree with his dismissal by mutual consent.

The man was charged with extortion on an especially large scale (Part 3 of Article 208 of the Criminal Code) and faces up to 15 years in prison. The suspect is in custody, and his assets have been seized.
A Million for Silence: In Minsk, a Former Employee Blackmailed a Cosmetics Company

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