Makayeu accused of “car smuggling”

Ales Makayeu, the deputy head of Razam solidarity movement, may face criminal prosecution.

Police suspect that vehicle identification number of Makayeu’s car, which he bought from an official dealer in 2004, was changed. The activist took his car from the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk on October 1. The vehicle is to be examined by experts.

Ales Makayeu tells Belorusskii Partizan about the incident in Drazdy on September 23.

“I was detained near Ramonak shop in Drazdy district on September 23. The car was stopped by a traffic police officer. Chief of the Tsentralny district police department Radzevich, chief of public security department Shakhlai and notorious Hryshchnka were present. The polling station, where Lukashenka voted with his son, was nearby.

I paid for vehicle inspection. I was said that leaflets calling to boycott the ‘elections’ were found in my car on the day of silence. It’s not forbidden. I did not distribute them. I just had them in my car.

I was convoyed to the Tsentralny district police department. A film team of Kriminalnaya Khronika (a TV criminal news programme) arrived. They scattered a dozen of leaflets around the car and interviewed me. I asked them when Kriminalnaya Khronika programme began to deal with political investigation.

I was told in the police department than the vehicle identification number on the body of my car was changed. They made a report and found only a tramp to be a witness. The materials were sent to the criminal investigation department.

I bought my Citroen Picasso from an official dealer in 2004. The VIN in the registration certificate has not been change since then. If I had bought an old used car, I am sure they could find the people who ‘changed’ the VIN. It’s ridiculous.”