Leader of cargo companies’ directors Syarhei Shtoda arrested for 15 days

Syarhei Shtoda, who had announced that on February 4 owners of cargo companies are going to rally in front of the Council of Ministers in order to defend their rights, was sentenced to 15 days of arrest for “use of foul speech.”

He has told about that over the phone to his wife today, February 3 at 4 p.m., ucpb.org informs.

On February 3 in the morning he went to have a meeting with the First Vice Premier Vasily Matsyusheuski. It was planned to discuss at the meeting how the existing situation could be solved. Belarusian cargo companies are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The authorities promised to carry out an amnesty of their fines, which were accumulated over the first three months of BelToll system functioning as a result of technical errors and insufficient informing of cargo companies about the novelty. However, after the economic situation changed, the authorities went back on their word.

Syarhei Shtoda was to be received by the First Vice Premier Matsyusheuski and have a conversation, in order to prevent the tomorrow’s street protest, however the meeting with the second person in the government proved to be a trap.

Syarhei failed to solve the problem in the office, that is why his announcement of the yesterday’s rally remains in force:

“We still have an opportunity, a chance to change something. Come to the building of the Cabinet of Ministers in Savetskaya Street 11 on February 4 at 9 a.m., let’s address Lukashenka together. All roads lead to him. Let’s address him and ask to look into the matter.”