Hanna Artsiushkevich: Authorities Knew About Rybakow’s Sins Long Ago :: Charter'97 :: News

Former head of the National TV and Radio Company Yahor Rybakow detained. He is accused of abuse of office, violations in business activities and so on. Now the former head of the National TV and Radio Company is in pre-trial detention cell in Minsk. Some journalists consider that the authorities have known about Rybakow’s crimes for a long time.

- We told about abuse of power and lobbying of independent studios’ interests in 2001 already. Our trade union bureau made statements for the press; we wrote the president about it, we addressed public authorities. We knew everything Rybakow is accused of now at that time already. Why did the president ignored our words, when during the meeting with him in TV studio our trade union members openly said that Rybakow cannot be appointed to the position of the chairman of the National TV and Radio Company?

The authorities have known everything for a long time. Why did they take alarm only now? I am terribly sorry that we live in a country where people representing authorities are so slow in realizing the truth, or they use the truth pursuing their private interests. In reality Rybakow, blessed by the authorities, ruined the First national Channel. And it is first of all the authorities’ responsibility, because they knew everything long ago, - said former employee of the Belarusian TV and Radio Company Hanna Artsiushkevich in her interview to Radio Racyja.