“Judging by the situation, the KGB officers knew about this deal.” Explaining the Detentions of Officials of the Last Days
Over the past two days, the KGB has detained at least 15 people for bribes, including seven high-ranking people: officials and business leaders. We are looking into what happened and why the schemes that led to these people being detained are typical for Belarus.
December 19: at least 8 people were detained, among them the heads of MTZ, MAZ, BelAZ and Gomselmash
On December 19, news broke that the KGB had detained officials from four major state-owned enterprises: MTZ, MAZ, BelAZ, and Gomselmash. Members of management and factory workers received money from commercial structures for promoting their products. It has been established that since 2013 these people have received bribes in the amount of at least 200 thousand US dollars for accepting defective raw materials and components, issuing fictitious quality reports and obtaining information about promising developments.
Cover art: Julien Pacaud
From December 5 to 7, while receiving bribes in the amount of more than 7,500 rubles, four representatives of MTZ, MAZ and BelAZ were caught red-handed. Among them is Deputy CEO"MTZ" (aka CFO) Nina Primshits. In addition to them, four more employees of the design and planning and economic divisions of the MTZ plant were detained for previously received bribes in the amount of 40,000 rubles. All the detainees were prosecuted under Articles 430 (Taking a bribe) and 433 (Accepting illegal rewards) of the Criminal Code. All suspects have been taken into custody.
Vladimir Kovalkin, head of the Kosht Urada project, comments on the “rollback” scheme:
Vladimir Kovalkin, photo: ideaby.org
“Such a corruption scheme is called “acceptance of unnecessary goods, or goods of inadequate quality” - in exchange for a kickback, of course. She looks like this. A tender is announced. In order to win on the price criterion, one of the companies reduces the price to a minimum and offers the lowest quality product or even defective product in order to earn more. Other firms cannot reduce the price as much because they offer a good quality product, the cost of which is higher. As a result, the firm with the lowest price and defective product wins. And so that at the time of acceptance of the defective goods there are no problems, representatives of the supplier and the buyer agree in advance on the "rollback".
What does "promotion" mean? The buyer could convince his colleagues that these products were of the right quality at an acceptable price. He could also share the kickback with stakeholders within the organization. Buying a defective product as a quality one, the company suffers a loss: it receives the product needed for production, and subsequently is forced to write it off as defective. The interest of the buyer is in the rollback, the interest of the supplier is that he sells goods of inadequate quality above the market price. The motivation is standard: privatization of profits, nationalization of losses. The enterprise belongs to the state, it is not private - accordingly, problems with marriage will fall on the money of the state and taxpayers. And the workers will get themselves extra money in the form of a kickback and will live happily ever after - everything is very simple.
December 20: 7 people were detained, including an IT businessman and officials from the Social Security Fund and the National Bank
Yesterday, December 20, similar news appeared: the KGB announced that it had crossed "large-scale corruption schemes" between employees of the BelABM company, headed by the general director Dmitry Ronin(according to Ezhednevnik, he ranks 130th in the ranking of the most influential businessmen in Belarus) and representatives of government agencies: the Social Security Fund, ERIP and the National Bank. SZAO BelABM has existed for more than 20 years, is one of the leaders of the Belarusian market of system integrators and a partner of more than ten leading IT companies. Most of its turnover is government orders.
On December 15, while receiving a bribe in the amount of $ 20,000 from Ronin, the manager of the Social Protection Fund was caught red-handed Ludmila Bachilo. The bribe was transferred for assistance in recognizing BelABM as the winner of the auction for the purchase of equipment for the Social Security Fund. A criminal case was initiated against Bachilo under article 430 (taking a bribe), against Ronin - under article 431 (giving a bribe) of the Criminal Code.
On this topic: Post of the day. The Orthodox Church, which will "kill" the reserve In addition, the KGB detained two employees of BelABM, including the deputy general director Nikolai Romanovich- for complicity in the transfer of a bribe to the manager of the Social Security Fund.
As it turned out, Romanovich is an Orthodox philanthropist and a believing "dacha resident" from Minsk, who built a church on the shore of Lake Bolduk.
This is the territory of the Narochansky National Park and the Shvakshty Hydrological Reserve, where construction is prohibited. The situation provoked protests from local residents (only Catholics live in the nearest village) and members of the public. After all, the construction of the temple and the camp around it destroyed the conservation of unique places.
Also arrested was the head of the informatization department of the Federal Social Security Service Vitaly Starovoitov- he was responsible for preparing tender documents for the purchase of computer equipment and received a bribe of $ 4,000 for his "help". According to the KGB, the three of them developed the “necessary” terms of reference, which allowed BelAVM to win the auction.
In addition to officials from the Federal Social Security Fund and the leaders of "BelAVM", the chairman of the board of "ERIP" was detained for corruption Oleg Veremeychik. In July 2016, he received $9,000 from Ronin, and in November 6,400 euros for helping to conduct a "negotiated" tender for the supply of equipment worth about 28 billion non-denominated rubles. Also, officials from the National Bank received bribes from BelABM: the head of the main department of monetary and financial monitoring Anatoly Moroz and his deputy Ekaterina Pavlovskaya. Moroz took money three times (the total amount is at least $13,000) for the fact that BelABM was chosen as the equipment supplier, and also acted as an intermediary in giving a bribe to Pavlovskaya.
On this topic: Post of the day. Why businessmen are annoyed by the Federal Social Security Fund All the detainees have been prosecuted and are now in custody.
The schemes are commented by the head of Kosht Urada Vladimir Kovalkin:
“There was a situation typical for Belarus, when the buyer and the supplier agree on a deal. To reduce competition, the customer creates a narrow specification, under which only the products of a certain supplier can pass. In this case, we are talking about the Federal Social Protection Fund as a customer who purchases equipment, and about BelABM as a supplier that has exclusive rights to supply it. Most often, in order to simulate competition and for the purchase to take place, the customer adds a controlled company to the tender or auction, which acts as an extra and puts the price higher.
In the end, the right company wins. By the way, the sensational purchase of validators took place exactly according to the same scheme.
Judging by the situation, the KGB officers knew about this deal, followed it, and, most likely, someone from the supplier organization collaborated with them (for example, who was previously caught in a dubious deal). Perhaps, in return, they promised him to reduce the term or replace it with a suspended one for helping to catch “big fish”.
On this topic: Who to compost brains Why are there so many delays now? Perhaps there is a political motive in this. Top management is trying to explain to the heads of state bodies and enterprises in this way: the times when there was a lot of money in the budget are over, and you need to moderate your appetites in terms of corruption. Most likely, all these detentions were sanctioned by the president, because officials of such a high level can hardly be arrested without his knowledge.”
Top 8 detained officials and leaders
Deputy General Director of MTZ Nina Primshits
Social Security Fund Manager Lyudmila Bachilo
Director General of BelABM Dmitry Ronin
Deputy General Director of BelABM Nikolay Romanovich
Vitaly Starovoitov, Head of the Department of Informatization of the Social Security Fund
Chairman of the Board "ERIP" Oleg Veremeychik
Anatoly Moroz, Head of the Main Department of Monetary and Financial Monitoring of the National Bank
Deputy Anatoly Moroz Ekaterina Pavlovskaya
However, these are not all those detained during these two days - in total there were at least 15 people (the KGB did not give the exact number of participants in all cases).
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The FSS and the National Bank interrogated the head of the BelABM company, Dmitry Ronin, who is accused of giving bribes to employees of these departments. The most sensational episode was 20 thousand dollars for the then manager of the Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Lyudmila Bachilo.
The businessman recalled that the BelABM company had been a partner of the Social Security Fund since the late 90s, when it built a computer network for the foundation. Subsequently, the company served this network. According to Ronin, the company "once in two or three years" won the tenders of the Federal Social Protection Fund for the supply of equipment. After the 2009 crisis, the Social Security Fund suspended the purchase of network equipment and personal computers for several years, but "there was a need for them, because the fund was switching to a new communication system."
Dmitry Ronin "with customers of such a level as the Social Security Fund" has always tried to build good relations. Earlier on the BelABM website it was noted that the company was implementing projects with the Presidential Administration, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, the KGK and other significant state institutions. The company's website is currently under reconstruction.
“At the initial stage [with the FSZN], there were different overlays, but then relations were normalized,” Ronin said. Gradually, his relationship with the fund manager Lyudmila Bachilo "from purely official and business-like grew into informal." This, in particular, was expressed in the fact that he allowed his driver to "patronize" Bachilo's personal car.
According to the state prosecution, in 2013-2016, the driver of Ronin was engaged in the repair of the car of the head of the Social Security Service. According to the bills provided, signed by Ronin's driver, a total of 31.5 million non-denominated rubles were spent on the maintenance of the Mercedes. Most of the amount came in 2016. Bachilo that she always paid for repairs herself.
On Wednesday, Dmitry Ronin said that in 2013-2015 the fact that the maintenance of Bachilo's car was paid for by his money "was never reported to him." If that were the case, he would probably know about it. At the same time, Ronin admitted that in 2016 Lyudmila Bachilo wanted to return the money for repairs to him. The driver said that the money given by Bachilo was not enough. “I said that let him take [from those that he constantly allocated for current needs]. And I'll deal with it myself. When I was going fishing, I stopped by [to the Federal Social Protection Fund]. Lyudmila Timofeevna tried to give me this money, but I said that I would take it when I was going back, otherwise I would lose it. Then I kindly forgot about them, ”said Ronin. In the future, "no one remembered them." Previously, Bachilo, who gave money for car repairs.
As for the episode with a bribe of 20 thousand dollars, according to Ronin, Lyudmila Bachilo never demanded money. But the businessman believed that she should be thanked for a combination of factors - victories in two tenders and a fairly prompt resolution of issues related to payment for contracts. Ronin discussed the amount of such gratitude with his deputy Romanovich. “At first we decided that it would be 40,000 [dollars], that is, 7% of the volume. Then, due to the lack of sufficient cash and the fact that the amount was not discussed with her, they settled on 20 [thousand dollars],” the businessman explained. Answering the question of the judge, how the amount of gratitude was determined, whether this figure was “an established practice”, the head of BelABM said that he simply “liked the figure”. “If they hadn’t been detained, of course, I would have given the remaining 20 [thousand dollars]. Conscience tormented,” he added.
Before taking the money, Dmitry Ronin was very nervous. “I thought about how she would react, whether she would take [the money] or call the police. But they added confidence, ”said the businessman. He was also nervous because he felt that the KGB was following him. “In life, somehow we didn’t work out with the KGB,” Ronin stated.
After handing over the money to Bachilo, Ronin got into the car and drove off. But soon he was stopped by the KGB. They asked what the businessman had given Bachilo. “27 [thousand dollars] or 40 [thousand dollars]? At first I did not understand about 27. And about 40, I realized that my premonitions did not disappoint me. Therefore, he told everything honestly, ”Ronin said.
Bachilo called the appearance of $20,000 in her bag "a very well-prepared staging."
Lyudmila Bachilo that she was interested to look at Ronin's gift, but "didn't have time." “I saw that she opened the black bag. She saw that there was money in the bag. Unfortunately. Maybe she doesn't remember it. Then I put this package in my bag, ”Ronin said today.
As for the commemorative coin of Belarusbank, Dmitry Ronin said that Bachilo did not take it on purpose. He suggested that the coin could have originally been in a bag that he "took from his closet." Therefore, the businessman took all the blame. Previously, Bachilo claimed that it was her coin and the security services unreasonably attributed it to Ronin. “The coin was in my desk. I wanted to thank Ronin for the New Year's greetings and the 'candy'. So I put it in Ronin's first bag [which contained a bundle of money]. But he quickly left. I didn’t get a gift,” Bachilo explained today.
Dmitry Ronin regretfully admitted that in 25 years he had lost the line "between personal, law and business." “I admit all my guilt and repent. I was obliged not to do these things, ”summed up Ronin.
Recall that at the end of 2016, the KGB announced the discovery of corruption schemes organized by employees of the well-known system integrator BelABM, headed by CEO Dmitry Ronin (in court he was named adviser to the head of BelABM), in which representatives of the Federal Social Protection Fund, the National Bank and ERIP were involved. Eight people were in the dock, including civil servants and top managers of a well-known supplier of computer equipment and IT solutions. Two of them are not in custody, six are in a “cage”. Officials are accused of abuse of power or official authority out of mercenary or other personal interests, as well as taking bribes. Businessmen - in giving bribes.
FSZN and the National Bank. The ex-manager of the Fund for Social Protection of the Population of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Lyudmila Bachilo, was interrogated, who does not admit her guilt in exceeding her official powers and receiving a bribe in the amount of 20 thousand dollars from the head of the BelABM company, Dmitry Ronin.
Photo: Olga Shukaylo, TUT.BY
Industrial relations and fishing talk
According to Bachilo, the work of the Social Protection Fund with BelABM began "long ago, about 15 years ago, the company built the country's first network and serviced it." The uninterrupted operation of the fund's network is important for 7.5 million Belarusians. Lyudmila Bachilo said that she met Dmitry Ronin "somewhere in 2008", before that she simply "heard this name."
Bachilo and Ronin had exclusively "production relations". As two avid fishermen, they could still talk about "hooks, tackle." But the ex-official claims that she never went fishing with a businessman.
The "industrial relations" involved the fact that she could call Ronin and complain about his subordinates, who did not serve the network well.
Lyudmila Bachilo also denies that she forced the head of BelABM to repair her personal Mercedes ML 350 car of 2009. Since her "25 million salary" was enough for these purposes. According to the state prosecution, 31.5 million non-denominated rubles were spent on the maintenance of Bachilo's Mercedes.
“Given our industrial relationship, I asked Ronin if I could contact his driver to help with the repair and maintenance of my car. Ronin did not object, but asked to be warned in advance,” Bachilo said. The ex-head of the Social Protection Fund explained that Ronin's driver helped only with transporting the car to the service station and back. “I left documents, keys and money in the car. Why in 2016 he didn’t take money for the repairs, but said to contact Ronin, I don’t know, ”she said. “But the next day I called Ronin and said: “Palych, I can’t do that. Please come and collect the money,” she added. According to Bachilo, after some time he came and took the money.
The idea to ask driver Ronin to repair her Mercedes came about after she spent a lot of time on maintenance in 2012. Company car driver working time cannot be used for personal purposes. “And I always have to be there. You often have to attend, for example, meetings in the Council of Ministers,” Bachilo said. Therefore, in 2013-2016, the driver Ronin was engaged in the repair of the car.
However, Bachilo's main accusations are related to the purchase of network equipment and computer equipment by the Federal Social Protection Fund from the BelABM company in the amount of 2.25 million rubles. For winning tenders the right company the official allegedly received bribes.
In 2015, the first tender for the purchase of network equipment for the fund was cancelled. Two companies were found to have documents that did not meet the auction requirements, and a third company had a higher price than the other two. Bachilo called Belresursy, which conducts public procurement, and asked what can be done to still be able to buy equipment, because "the fund faces many tasks." She was told that she could either cancel the tender or lower the price and re-bid. Soon after, Bachilo called Ronin and indignantly asked why they "planted such a pig." At the same time, she said that a second tender could be held, but with the condition that the initial price be reduced. As a result, the fund "significantly" reduced the purchase price, but did not change the technical conditions, because "that would mean that we are extending the company." Answering the question of the state prosecution why she called Ronin with a proposal to reduce the price, and not two other companies, Bevalex and Belsoft, who also applied for participation in the tender, Bachilo said that she “did not know the phones and who to contact there ".
"Give me back the 20 thousand dollars that Ronin brought you"
On December 2, 2016, shortly after the BelABM company won the tender for the supply of computer equipment for the Social Security Fund and received payment, Ronin thanked Bachilo and said that “flowers” rely on him. “Better than berries,” Bachilo answered, explaining that there is such an “aphorism”. From this overheard dialogue, the investigators concluded that the official demanded money from the businessman. When asked by the prosecutor whether Bachilo understood that the head of BalAVM wanted to thank her for winning the tender with “flowers”, she replied: “Never.”
After 10 days, the businessman asked for a meeting with Bachilo in her office "on a personal matter." On December 15, the head of "BelAVM" congratulated the then official on the New Year and put "a beige paper bag without identification marks" on the table. She set the bag aside, but pulled out a festively decorated "box" that "could contain anything," not just money. Bachilo claims she was interested in seeing Ronin's gift, but "didn't have time." After a short conversation "about nothing", she decided to trick the businessman, because he "was aroused, his hands were trembling."
Bachilo escorted Ronin to the elevator. Then I also visited the toilet room and found many people in front of my office. She was told that there would be a search, and a representative of law enforcement agencies signed the prosecutor's sanction for this procedure right on her desk.
Lyudmila Bachilo writes a confession. Photo: KGB press service
According to the ex-head of the Social Protection Fund, the office was searched several times, but nothing was found, including in the bag. Then a man in civilian clothes appeared and shouted: "Give me back the 20 thousand dollars that Ronin brought you." At the next inspection, a box of money was found. The same man, according to Bachilo, forced her to write an explanatory letter “in the name of [KGB Chairman Valery] Vakulchik,” for which money was received. Being "in shock" she wrote that the money was received "for a certain consultation."
Lyudmila Bachilo also said that the commemorative coin, which the security forces found in her bag and attributed as a gift from Ronin, actually got to her at the anniversary celebrations of Belarusbank.
The former manager of the Social Security Fund called her detention by the KGB "a very well-prepared staging." “A civil servant, the personnel register of the head of state, 45 years of civil service… A good picture to show on television,” she said. Bachilo claims that she was followed for a year and a half, bugged, "not all, of course, but you could listen to something else." According to her, the head of state "was reported that I was taking bribes, but this had to be confirmed."
Lyudmila Bachilo asked the court to look into this case objectively. Because in her actions "there was no malicious intent, and all the tasks that were set for the fund, including the timely payment of pensions, were carried out."
The KGB of the Republic of Belarus, as part of the fight against corruption, uncovered and suppressed large-scale corruption schemes organized by employees of SZAO BelABM, headed by General Director Dmitry Ronin, in which representatives of government agencies , - the press service of the State Security Committee reports. What happened? As is known from a press release, on December 15 this year, Dmitry Ronin tried to give a bribe in the amount of 20 thousand US dollars to Lyudmila Bachilo, manager of the Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The latter was caught red-handed. The money, according to the KGB, was intended as a reward for "assistance in recognizing SZAO BelABM as the winner of the auction for the purchase of equipment for the needs of the Fund." A criminal case was initiated against Lyudmila Bachilo under part 3 of article 430 (taking a bribe), against Dmitry Ronin - under part 2 of article 431 (giving a bribe). In addition, Nikolai Romanovich, Deputy General Director of CJSC BelAVM, who was an accomplice in the transfer of a bribe, as well as Leonid Gorbachevsky, an employee of the SZAO, were detained. Vitaly Starovoitov, the head of the FSZN informatization department, who was preparing tender documents for the purchase of computer equipment, was also detained. - These persons, being in a criminal conspiracy, developed the "necessary" terms of reference, which allowed SZAO to win the auction. Vitaly Starovoitov, through the mediation of Leonid Gorbachevsky, received a bribe of $4,000 for his assistance, the KGB says. Who else was detained by the employees of the State Security Committee for corruption ties with SZAO BelABM: - Oleg Veremeychik, Chairman of the Board of JSC Non-Banking Credit and Financial Organization "Single Settlement and Information Space" ("ERIP"). In July 2016, he received from Dmitry Ronin 9 thousand US dollars, and in November of this year - 6,400 euros for assistance in organizing and holding in the interests of BelABM a "negotiated" tender for the supply of equipment in the amount of about 28 billion non-denominated rubles (about $1.4 million). - Head of the Main Department of Monetary and Financial Monitoring of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus Anatoly Moroz, as well as his deputy Ekaterina Pavlovskaya. According to the KGB press service, Anatoly Moroz received no less than $13,000 in bribes from Dmitry Roin for choosing SZAO BelABM as the supplier of equipment, as well as for the fact of his mediation in receiving Pavlovskaya's bribe. On these facts criminal cases are raised. The detainees are taken into custody. Recall that Komsomolskaya Pravda has already written that there were rumors in banking circles about detentions at the National Bank. They talked about four, and then about two detainees. True, at that time neither the National Bank, nor the KGB, nor the Investigative Committee commented on the rumors.