BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
27/03/2008
Ex-head of Belarus oil company jailed for 5 years
MINSK, March 27 (Reuters) - The former head of Belarus state oil processing firm Belneftekhim was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday for abuse of office.
Alexander Borovsky took over Belneftekhim in 2005 and was arrested last May over irregularities in supply contracts. One of Belarus's most prominent companies, Belnefekhim brings in about a third of its foreign currency earnings.
"The court sentenced Borovsky to five years in prison," a spokesman for the Supreme Court in ex-Soviet Belarus said. "He will serve his term in a standard prison."
Belarus's refineries sustained considerable losses in the first half of 2007 after the country quarrelled with Russia over energy supplies and prices.
Russia slapped duties on its oil exports to its western neighbour, cut supplies and demanded duties be imposed on Belarussian fuel exports.
Belneftekhim has become the focus of a diplomatic and human rights row between Belarus and the United States, with Washington last year barring its citizens from all operations with the company.
The U.S. ambassador left Belarus this month after authorities said additional sanctions had been imposed on the company, allegations denied in Washington. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky, Writing by Ron Popeski)
Source:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL272881620080327
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