Former Owner Of “Motovelo” Asked Court To Release Him From Custody

A trial of the former owner of JSC “Motovelo” Aliaksandr Murauyou started in the court of Frunzensky district of Minsk.

He is charged under part 4 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code (fraud committed by an organized group or on a large scale), part 4 Art. 16 to part 4 Art. 210 (organization of theft through abuse of office), part 4 Art. 16 to part 2 Art. 243 (organization of tax evasion) and part 6 Art. 16 to part 2 Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (aiding in tax evasion), BelaPAN reports.

Two more defendants are in the dock – the former director of “Motovelo” Kazimir Maroz and the accountant Tatsiana Lukavets. They are accused of organizing and complicity in a theft through abuse of office.

The case is considered under the chairmanship of Judge Yuliya Bliznyuk.

Aliaksandr Murauyou, arrested in June, 2015, does not plead guilty and have asked the court to release him from custody. “For 17 months I have been kept in custody, – he said. – My right for freedom and personal inviolability has been violated all this time. I am accused of an economic crime. I do not represent danger to the society, I have dependents: minor children, elderly parents. I'm not going to hide from the court, to conceal or falsify the evidence. I ask to choose a preventive measure, which is not related to isolation.”

Murauyou’s petition was supported by his lawyers, the prosecutor spoke against it.

The court rejected the request of the businessman. Thus, Murauyou will continue to be kept in custody, while the others involved in the case will remain at large.

According to the businessman, he will continue to insist on changing the preventive measure. “I am sure, the trial will show that I did not commit the crimes, I am charged with,” – Murauyou said.

He has visibly lost weight during his stay in the prison, but he keeps up in the court.

In August 2007, Belarus sold 99.72% of the authorized capital of JSC “Motovelo” to the registered in Austria company ATEC Holding GmbH, owned by Murauyou. However, five years later, in September 2013, Aliaksandr Lukashenka visited “Motovelo”, got dissatisfied with its work and demanded the unconditional fulfillment of the plans, which aim was development of the plant.

Lukashenka also was discontented with the fact that not all the territory of the enterprise was engaged in production, as it had been agreed, about a quarter of it was for lease.

In June 2015 Murauyou was arrested. Questions from The investigation was interested in not only the “Motovelo” work, but the glassworks in Yalizava and Homel, created involving the ATEC Holding Gmbh. The glassworks “Yalizava” was declared bankrupt.