At the end of last year, according to a number of publications, Sergei Anyukhovsky, then general director of SOAO Kommunarka, was detained and then released from custody. The story did not end there. In the article - what exactly is going on in the case, who it affected and where it led.
Who's on trial
Criminal case No. 24128310029 is being investigated by the so-called Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus. In the center of attention is the former general director of Kommunarka Sergey Anyukhovsky (he is charged with abuse of power and large-scale bribery).
Also appearing in the case are:
- Olga Taran, ex-head of the Economics and Finance Department of SOAO (charged with official forgery);
- Chinese citizens Ji Songlin and Gao Yuezhu, manager and representative of the company "Biaoma" (the charge is bribery on an especially large scale).
How, according to the investigation, the scheme worked
In 2022-2024 years, Anyukhovsky sought state funding for a project to process cocoa beans using online digital quality control. In order to improve the chances, the investigation alleges, he instructed his subordinates to knowingly enter false data into the business plan:
- to overestimate capital investment,
- falsify cost-effectiveness indicators.
Olga Taran complied with these instructions. After that Aniukhouski approved several versions of the business plan and sent them to the state authorities for expertise and financing. As a result, the project was included in the State Program of Innovative Development, and it received 30.6 million rubles from the Innovation Fund of Minsk City Executive Committee - funding that the investigation considers illegal.
Procurement, auction and overpayment
The next step was the purchase of equipment. According to the investigation, Anyukhovsky organized the electronic auction so that the Chinese company Biaoma won, although the official supplier from Germany offered the same equipment for 1 million euros cheaper.
Bottom line: a contract with Biaoma. concluded for 53 million yuan (≈ €6 million).
How did it turn out for the state
According to the investigators' calculations, Anyukhovsky's actions caused damage to the state on a particularly large scale - 22.8 million rubles. In addition to direct losses, the transparency of state programs suffered, measures to regulate the economy were undermined and socio-economic plans were jeopardized.
Why the scheme worked
Our experts see the root of the problem in weak control on the part of government agencies, which are obliged to check such projects and monitor their implementation. Insufficient verification of the business plan actually allowed the use of false documents - and, as a consequence, to benefit at the expense of the budget.
Long Live Belarus!
