Number of suspects in Autukhovich’s case gets smaller

Criminal proceedings against 4 persons who, together with Vaukavysk businessman Mikalai Autukhovich, were suspects in the case of a terrorist attack preparation have been stopped.

In the criminal case opened on charges under Article 339 of the Criminal Code, terrorist attack preparation, Makuts, Navumovich, Paremskaya and Ulanau were targeted in the investigation as suspects. As a human rights watchdog Aleh Vouchak said to Belarusian Partisan, criminal prosecution has been dismissed, and all of them received documents about that.

Roughly speaking, the existence of a large group of ‘plotting terrorists’ has not been confirmed. A little group remains: Autukhovich, Asipenka and Laryn. Laryn says he is a doer, and says the other two are organizers, and the main focus is made on Mikalai Autukhovich. It looks as if the investigation has no other proofs of Autukhovich and Asipenka’s guilt except for the words of Laryn.

In fact the 8 months of imprisonment of Vaukavysk businessmen, investigation activities mostly concerned unfortunate grenade launcher. Three persons were held behind the bars for 10 days each in the case concerning the grenade launcher. They were checked for their involvement in the case: administrative manager of the enterprise Makuts, Navumovich with his criminal record, and Pestrak. According to Aleh Vouchak, Arkadz Navumovich is Autukhovich’s neighbor. He allegedly witnessed and said the grenade launcher belonged to Autukhovich. As a result, Navumovich was imprisoned for 10 days and then released.

Two weeks before the arrest of businessmen, a grenade launcher was found near Volmed plant in Vaukavysk. Laryn was detained in connection with this case. He used to work for Autukhovich. And the investigation tried to unite this case with the case of Autukhovich. The grenade launcher allegedly belonged to Autukhovich and his team.

Bear in mind that Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained in Vaukavysk on 8 February 2009 and charged for participation in some events which took place in 2005. The matter concerns an arson of a house of a former policeman, and arson and destruction of property of a tax inspector of Vaukavysk district.

On 18 February the entrepreneurs, dwellers of Vaukavysk, Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were charged by the Preliminary Investigation department of Hrodna Interior Affairs directorate under Article 218 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (intentional damage to or destruction of property of citizens).