Viktar Lukashenka ready to topple father, KGB behind election. Fugitive agent’s interview to Belsat TV


Former KGB Major Andrei Molchan exposed the scheme of oil products smuggling from Belarus to Western Europe. He claims that president Alyaksandr Lukashenka and other top officials were well aware of the shadow deal.

He fled to Stockholm and asked for political asylum, but the Swedish authorities turned his application down. Now he is facing deportation to Belarus, where he may land up in prison for revealing state secrets. The man handed over documents confirming the facts of Lukashenka-controlled smuggling petroleum products to Swedish journalists.

Last week Andrei Molchan revealed the details of the story to Belsat journalist Katsyaryna Andreyeva.

In the second part of the interview, Andrei Molchan tells belsat.eu about methods the KGB uses to persecute opposition activists and the attitude to its own employees. He also explains why the agency supported president Alyaksandr Lukashenka and who could compete with the incumbent president.

‘KGB treats people like dirt’

The KGB top brass thinks nothing of their subordinates, When the investigation of the smuggling case started to be swept inder, [and I was agaist it] the chiefs of the Vitsebsk KGB department held me as an enemy of the Belarusian economy. Atroschankau, a deputy head of the department, who supervised anticorruption cases, put a great pressure on me. Later he was promoted and transferred to a similar position in Minsk. The system works in such a way that an ordinary officer is always the one who bears the blame. They can turn their backs on you and make a scapegoat of you at any moment. KGB treats people like dirt.

A copy of Molchan’s military ID

Alyaksandr Lukashenka. No retreat

Alyaksandr Lukashenka is not Boris Yeltsin, he has no place to retreat to. He does not consider his son Viktar as his successor. Viktar is a grey cardinal, he does not like to appear in public. The family is constantly at war. Viktar led the ‘young’ team and they turned against the old team headed by Lukashenka’s minion Viktar Sheyman. Who is behind the resignations of ministers, directors of large factories? You see, it is a confrontation. Although Viktar is his son, Alyaksandr Lukashenka does not want to lose Sheyman. Indeed, now Sheyman is not a big player, but he has repeatedly proved his loyalty for decades. Sheyman’s hands are in blood, but he will never disclose Lukashenka’s secrets or shoot hom in the back. At the same time, Viktar is constantly trying to scheme against the father. In fact, to remove Lukashenka, one should have control over siloviki. Therefore, Alyaksandr Lukashenka does not head for a confrontation with ‘young wolves’, because the result is predictable: in an open conflict he will be displaced. But if Viktar gains a full control of security chiefs and agencies, his days will be numbered.

KGB vs Interior Ministry

In an effort to remove [former Interior Minister] Uladzimir Navumau, Viktar Lukashenka’s men put pressure on his subordinates; for example, many were was accused of corruption. Of course, the KGB had a hand in it. They had been gathering information about Navumau for a long time and they they disclosed everything at once to make a blow heavier. Many people working for the ministry experienced something like that.

Who is Valery Vakulchyk?

When I worked for the KGB, Vakulchyk was chairman of the Operational and Analytical Center (OAC). He is no good news. This man is very vindictive. He is rumoured to have some mental problems. He reportedly suffered from a mental illness; he could have even be freed from the service for that reason. But he proved himself loyal – Vakulchyk always ready to fulfil any order. Lukashenka needs such people. Before his work at the OAC, Vakulchyk served in the KGB and left with a bang. When he was appointed Head of the KGB, he dismissed former opponents.

2010 election: KGB tasked to ‘neutralize’ activists

The KGB started preparations for the 2010 presidential election six months ahead of the event. In May 2010, superiors ordered five officers of the Vitsebsk department to ‘physically neutralize’ an opposition activist [Molchan revealed the name to belsat.eu]. Of course, murder was not the case. We were to batter him staging a hooligan attack. I could not fulfil such an order. I put it on the back burner. The superior was furious. At that time, I was also involved in investigating into the above smuggling case. I fell into disgrace and they fired me.

Talking about the persecution of the opposition, all phones are tapped, corresponding is read, they study your family network and look for pressure points. Directed surveillance is the responsibility of the secret KGB unit. Criminal prosecution is among the most common threats.

‘If we lose elections, none of us will work here’

During election periods, no one cares for what KGB department you work. Preparing for presidential elections is ipso facto the KGB’s responsibility, there are no exceptions. You know what our leadership said? “If we lose elections, none of us will work here!” Consider this “we”. It means that the KGB is behind Lukashenka’s victories as well.

Аndrei Molchan

Fear

I am wary of being persecuted for publishing certain documents. Under the contract, exposing the contents of operational materials is strictly prohibited even after quitting the KGB. I have agreed to grant the interview because now I am facing deportation to Belarus. According to local security services, I am posing a threat to Sweden. When I return to Belarus, I will be tried and sentenced to a prison term.

(slightly abridged)

Katsyaryna Andreyeva, belsat.eu

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