MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Viktor Babariko, former head of Belgazprombank, a Belarusian subsidiary of Russia's Gazprombank, began to testify to investigators after the Central Election Commission's refusal to register him as a presidential candidate.
On June 18, Babariko was arrested and charged with tax evasion, money laundering, and corruption. His son Eduard was also arrested and charged with tax evasion.
"I will not go into details, I just want to say ... This is not politically motivated, there is no fear and danger, but a thief must be imprisoned," Lukashenko said.
He noted that all the suspects involved in the case are also testifying.
Lukashenko added that he had instructed law enforcement authorities "to prepare all the materials so that experts from Interpol, the United States, Poland and Russia could come [to Belarus]."
"We will show them these documents [related to the Belgazprombank case] ... We are transparent," the president said.
The presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for August 9. The campaign has been accompanied by the arrests of those supporting the candidates running against current President Aleksander Lukashenko. The country's Interior Ministry says that most have been arrested for violating laws on holding public events, as well as undermining public order.
