Lukashenko robbed Gazprom bank of $3 billion
The National Bank of Belarus introduced a temporary administration at Belgazprombank not at all in order to weaken the position of the former head of this bank, Viktor Babariko, in the presidential race. The main goal is control over gas payments against the backdrop of another dispute over prices.
Andrey Suzdaltsev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Politics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, wrote about this in his blog, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The bank has not yet been nationalized, but Minsk has already received the opportunity to manage other people’s money. For example, given that payments for supplied Russian gas are made through the bank, the Belarusian side has the opportunity to stop these payments altogether.
In addition, there is no doubt that the Belarusian leadership will quickly dispose of the access it has received to the financial resources of the bank - 3 billion US dollars owned by the Russian corporation and partly by Russia. There is no doubt that in the coming week, literally in a matter of days and hours, the bank will be drained of blood, and financial resources will be pumped into the hands of A. Lukashenko,” Suzdaltsev wrote.
Let us remind you that Gazprom refused to grant gas discounts to Belarus this year, and agreed to discuss prices for next year only after paying off a debt of $166 million. Minsk denies the existence of such a debt.
“In Minsk they openly dream that, having boarded the Gazprom bank, they will be able to force a reduction in the price of Russian gas in 2020 and 2021, which should definitely return A. Lukashenko’s laurels as the “winner of Moscow.” This is followed by a rapid increase in ratings and, of course, victory in the elections on August 9,” writes Suzdaltsev.
On June 12, it became known that the National Bank of Belarus decided to replace the managers of Belgazprombank, whose main shareholders are the Russian Gazprom and Gazprombank.
A day earlier, about 50 employees of the financial investigation department of the State Control Committee of Belarus (DFR KGC) conducted a search at the head office of Belgazprombank. A criminal case has been initiated under articles relating to tax evasion and money laundering. 15 bank employees, including top management, were detained.
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