Screenshot of the video by Belarus 1
MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – The film “Time Chose Us” on the Belarus 1 TV channel gave a thrilling account of the war against organized crime declared by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in 1997, BelTA reports.
In 1997, in addition to foreign intervention, Belarus was also fighting an internal evil – corruption. It was a cut-throat fight. On 6 October 1997, a terrorist attack killed Yevgeny Mikolutsky, Chairman of the Mogilev Oblast Office of the State Control Committee and member of parliament. An explosive device was detonated at the entrance to his house in Mogilev. His wife was hospitalized with serious injuries.
In the last three years of his work as head of the regional office of the State Control Committee, Yevgeny Mikolutsky was locked in a fierce fight against economic crimes and organized crime in Mogilev. He was a reliable person from Aleksandr Lukashenko's team. Shortly before his death, Yevgeny Mikolutsky talked about the fight against the so-called vodka mafia; he noted that he got threats that a sniper was hired for him.
The day after the terrorist attack, Aleksandr Lukashenko declared a war on
the criminal world as he addressed people at the Mogilev Palace of Pioneers.
“I want to send a message to these criminals through the media. Keep in mind, gentlemen, we will chase you to the ends of the earth! I warn everyone who is engaged in mala fide commercial activities, dirty money, all the so-called entrepreneurs and bankers, shady entrepreneurs and bankers: you have 10 days to pay what is due to the state, to pay off debts, to settle relations with the authorities,” the president warned.
These ten days were extremely tense for the police. The head of the regional police department reported that police employees were recalled from vacation, and the police was on duty day and night. Over the week, 136 crimes were solved in the region, 4,660 people were charged with administrative offenses, 25 wanted criminals were detained.
Four residents of Mogilev were rounded up on suspicion of committing the terrorist attack and the murder of Mikolutsky.
Three of them were put on trial for plotting a terrorist attack on the head of state. The defendants were sentenced to 5 to 11 years in prison for banditry. The fourth and main suspect, Valery Tkachev, did not live to see the trial. He hanged himself in the pretrial detention center.
The memory of Yevgeny Mikolutsky was immortalized on 28 May 1998. Molodezhnaya Street in Shklov was renamed in honor of the former chairman of the regional office of the State Control Committee.
Follow us on:
