Lukashenko unveils evidence he called criminal offense

PETRIKOV DISTRICT, 26 April (BelTA) - During a working trip to Petrikov District on 26 April, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko raised the issue of livestock safety and cited recent egregious cases of young cattle deaths, BelTA has learned.

The head of state drew attention to an incident that occurred in Rogachev District. In one farm, the State Control Committee uncovered evidence that calf deaths had been covered up. Later, the inspection materials were handed over to the head of state.

Immediately upon arriving in Mozyr District on 24 April, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out the incident to Gomel Oblast Governor Ivan Krupko, and showed him photographs taken by the State Control Committee. “This is what you call horrifying. I understand that in some places, and I understand that they concentrate the negative [findings from the inspection], but this is more than a criminal case,” the president said.

The issue came up again during Aleksandr Lukashenko’s working trip to Petrikov District on 26 April. “I saw [Chairman of the State Control Committee Vasily] Gerasimov’s photograph: a hectare of land with dead calves lying on the surface,” he said.

“He [the farm’s manager] is already in pretrial detention,” Vasily Gerasimov reported.

“In pretrial detention, and rightly so. It’s an outrage. I wanted to show journalists just one photograph. They would lose their minds, especially the city dwellers,” the president said.

Photos by BelTA and the State Control Committee