Belgazprombank ex-CEO Babariko refuses to plead guilty to alleged crimes during March 22 court hearing

<p> MINSK, Mar 22 - PrimePress. Belarusian presidential contender, former Chairman of the Board of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko would not plead guilty to the alleged crimes. He made a statement to this effect on 22 March 2021 as the criminal case of Belgazprombank managers was examined at the Supreme Court of Belarus. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The trial, which began on 17 February 2021, resumed after a break announced on February 23 due to the illness of one of the members of the court. On 22 March, a representative of the prosecutor’s office completed the reading of the charges. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Babariko did not plead guilty to the alleged crimes. “No, I do not plead guilty in full because I did not commit any of the crimes of which I am accused,” TASS news agency quoted Babariko as saying. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Earlier, during the preliminary investigation, he also pleaded not guilty and refused to enter into a pre-trial cooperation agreement with the investigators. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In addition, Babariko’s lawyer Dmitriy Layevskyy said that the announced accusation does not specify sufficiently in which actions of the accused are seen as a crime, that is, it does not contain a description of the incriminated acts with an indication of time, place, manner and other circumstances of their commission. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported. former head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko was charged with gross bribe taking in an organized group and legalization (laundering) of funds obtained by criminal means (sections 430.3 and 235.2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus). </p> <p>   </p> <p> Top managers of the bank Sergei Shaban, Alexander Ilyasyuk, Kirill Badei, Dmitry Kuzmich, Alexei Zadoyko and Sergei Dobrolet were charged under section 430.3 of the Criminal Code. Activleasing LLC founder Victor Kobyak was charged with gross bribery (section 431.1 of the Criminal Code). </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, Viktor Babariko was chairman of the board of Belgazprombank from July 2000 until 12 May 2020. He decided to run for president of Belarus in the spring of 2020 and was arrested in June. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Former head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko was charged with gross bribe taking in an organized group and legalization (laundering) of funds obtained by criminal means. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Six other former top managers of Belgazprombank and Babariko’s deputies are accused of taking large bribes, acting as an organised group. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In June 2020, the State Control Committee of Belarus alleged the possible involvement of the Russia’s Gazprom, which owns Belgazprombank, in Babariko’s criminal activities. Peskov said then that large Russian companies, including Gazprom, are under state protection and the allegations against them should be supported with evidence. End </p>

2021-03-23

Primepress