A total of seven people have been arrested in connection with an investigation focusing on Vitsyebsk Poultry Plant's feed purchases, the Belarus One television channel reported on Tuesday.
Those arrested include the state-owned plant's director general, Hanna Shareyka, as well as four other executives with the plant and two managers with a company that was awarded contracts to supply feeds to the plant.
Ms. Shareyka, a member of the Council of the Republic (upper house of the National Assembly), was arrested and formally charged earlier this month for ordering Vitsyebsk Poultry Plant to purchase overpriced feed and feed additives from a foreign company whose owner was on friendly terms with her, the Prosecutor General’s Office said Tuesday in a statement, BelaPAN said.
By doing so throughout several years, Ms. Shareyka caused damage estimated at more than four billion rubels to Vitsyebsk Poultry Plant, the statement said.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ms. Shareyka financed the construction of an expensive 250 sq.m. house for herself with illegally earned money.
On August 14, the Council of the Republic voted to strip the 54-year-old Shareyka of her parliamentary immunity in connection with evidence provided by law enforcement agencies, which implicated her in abusing her powers as director general of Vitsyebsk Poultry Plant. On August 15, Ms. Shareyka was taken into custody under a warrant from the Prosecutor General’s Office.
