Bribery Charges Brought against Former Deputy Energy Minister

The Prosecutor General’s Office on March 18 brought bribery charges against former Deputy Energy Minister Andrey Zhukaw and Ihar Pawlish, director general of the Euroenerha company that supplies energy equipment to the Belarusian market, a source at the Office told BelaPAN.

The CEO of the company is suspected to giving a bribe totaling seven billion rubels to Mr. Zhukaw in exchange for a contract for the delivery of energy equipment.

The two are held in custody, the source said without giving additional details.

Earlier reports had it that law enforcers instituted criminal proceedings against Mr. Pawlish in February 2009 over the company’s 2006 dubious contract with the Minskenerha power utility that was said to have sustained more than $1 million of damage as a result of it.

A further investigation established more dubious contracts performed by Euroenerha; around 10 people were given suspect status in the investigation last year, according to the unconfirmed reports.