Tut By Media LLC Chief Engineer Ala Lapatka has been charged with complicity in felony tax evasion, an offense punishable under Part Six of the Criminal Code’s Article 16 and Part Two of Article 243.
According to tut.by, on Friday, the Minsk City Court turned down an appeal against her detention.
Earlier, tut.by Editor in Chief Maryna Zolatava and tut.by staff writer Aliena Talkačova were also reported to have been charged with complicity in felony tax evasion.
On May 18, law enforcement officers raided the offices of tut.by, a leading online media outlet in Belarus, and other companies controlled by Tut By Media LLC, as well as the homes of some of their workers.
A total of 15 people were arrested. Most of them are currently held in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 and the KGB detention center in Minsk.
The State Control Committee announced on May 18 that criminal proceedings had been instituted against Tut By Media LLC senior executives under Part Two of the Criminal Code’s Article 243, which penalizes felony tax evasion.
On the same day, the information ministry blocked access to the tut.by website at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
