Yury Chyzh, one of the country’s most influential businessmen and so-called Lukashenka’s bagman, was arrested on March,11. The Belarusian State Security Committee has published the official information about the tycoon’s alleged violation of law.
According to the KGB, In 2012, Chyzh ordered to establish a front company which was later caught in committing financial crimes, in particular, money laundering.
“By the order of Chyzh, one created a company which was never supposed to be engaged in any financial and economic activities,” Valery Vakulchyk, the chairman of the Belarusian State Security Committee, told journalists.
It is not the only crime Chyzh is involved in, the KGB states.
At the same time, when interviewed by Belsat TV, opposition politician Anatol Lyabedzka offered a different explanation of the arrest of one of the richest Belarusians.
“After the EU lifted its sanctions against Belarus, many people, including Chyzh, might have started to to think about the future. You know, Belarus is a proper country for ‘original accumulation’, especially when one sits in a sauna with president Lukashenka or plays hockey with him. But Belarus has no conditions for running a business in the European style. Therefore, when one cracked open a door, Chyzh wanted to jump out of Belarus, remove his capital and try to start a civilized business. Of course, Lukashenka could not let him do it, because other people will definitely follow his example,” he said.
On March 14, Belarusian news website tut.by reported that another accomplished businessman, Yauhen Baskin, had been detained, which was confirmed by three unrelated sources.
