KGB and Belarusian TV spoke about “spies” again

Valer Nadtachaeu, head of public relations and information center of the KGB, told the Belarusian TV on Sunday that members of spy ring operating in the country headed by Kurt Finley, allegedly illegally took videos and photographs of Belarusian citizens, and watched militia officers.

It should be reminded that local media reported about the American “spy ring” in Belarus yet in late March. According to the media, the ring consisted of Belarus citizens-members security office of the US embassy and was headed by American diplomat in Minsk Kurt Finley, allegedly regular staff member of the FBI.

According to Nadtachaeu, the KGB officers managed “at early stages to cut down the illegal activity of Belarus citizens” that could be qualified as treason according to article 365 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. He also noted that Finley, member of the US embassy in Belarus, who left the country in late March, may be charged with espionage.

The Belarusian KGB’s inspection revealed the members of “observation and detection group” managed to collect about 5000 photos. Nadtachaeu noted that the KGB just “revealed the formal warning message to all Belarusian citizens, involved into the group, that said it’s forbidden to participate in the illegal group activities.”

Jonathan Moore, US Charge D’Affaires in Belarus, said in the interview to BelaPAN on 24 March: “We have no spies operating in Belarus.” According to him, K. Finley and B. Nixon are members of US embassy security service, not FBI officers.