Independent journalist complains of negligent officials

Mikalai Herdziy, economic observer of the Krychau-based independent newspaper “Volny Horad” (“Free Town”), submitted a statement to the Prosecutor’s Office of Mahiliou region, urging the prosecutors to verify the facts of violation of legislation of the Republic of Belarus by Krychau interdistrict department of the State Control Committee.

The complaint was sent after the journalist received a negligent reply to his earlier statement from the State Control Committee. Mikalai Herdziy asked the supervising agency to investigate the numerous violations and facts of mismanagement in a number of organizations and institutions of Krychau district. To his statement the journalist attached five articles from the newspaper “Volny Horad” covering several specific facts of gross violations by the heads of several companies and organizations. However, the SCC’s local head Siarhei Vlasenka issued a runaround reply, saying that “the information has been taken into consideration”, instead of investigating and prosecuting those responsible.

Mikalai Herdziy says that with the help of complaining to the prosecutor's office, he wants to force local officials of the State Control Committee to get to work and perform their duties.

“Actually, I was surprised by the position of the SCC’s Krychau department. It might seem that the newspaper makes their work much easier – just take the news stories, verify the violations and punish the executives who bring significant damage to the state. However, for some reason all these facts are carefully covered up, and there is no response from the monitors on multiple violations there,” says the journalist.