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KGB denies attempts to arrest Uralkali managers in Russia

The professionalism and competence of Russia's Federal Security Service rules out the possibility of officers of foreign intelligence agencies working in the territory of Russia, Artur Strekh, spokesman for the Committee for State Security (KGB) of Belarus, told BelaPAN.

Mr. Strekh thus denied reports that KGB officers had made an attempt to arrest Dmitry Samoilov, head of the freight department of Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), in Moscow on October 25.

"You don't have to be a professional to see the absurdity of allegations propagated by some online media outlets," Mr. Strekh said. "The Investigative Committee of Russia is drawing up an application for the extradition of Vladislav Baumgertner, director general of Russia's potash company Uralkali who was arrested in Minsk in late August. There Russian law-enforcement agencies will subject him and other suspects to investigative activities. They have the necessary means to ensure an impartial investigation."

When asked about a new report that Uralkali's security service had posted guards to prevent the arrest of its managers by the KGB, Mr. Strekh said that "the management of the company and not the KGB should evaluate the decisions of its security service as well as their psychological state."

Russia's newspaper Kommersant reported last week that Mr. Samoilov had been approached by four men in civilian clothes as he was boarding a train for St. Petersburg. One of the men produced a KGB officer's identity card and told the executive that he was under arrest.

Mr. Samoilov offered resistance, attracting the attention of police officers who told the man and the KGB officers to follow them to a police station.

Although the officers produced a Belarusian arrest warrant for Mr. Samoilov, they were told by Russian police officers that they had no right to apprehend the manager in Russia. They were reportedly advised not to repeat their attempts to make arrests outside Belarus.

The Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported on Monday that Uralkali's security service was now guarding Konstantin Solodovnikov, Igor Yevstratov and Mr. Samoilov, who combined their duties in Uralkali and Belarusian Potash Company BPC, its joint trading arm with Belarus' Belaruskali.

According to Izvestiya, Messrs. Solodovnikov, Yevstratov and Samoilov, who hold a Russian citizenship and live in Moscow, have recently noticed unknown men watching their houses from cars parked on the streets and following them when they travel in their own vehicles.

"These people do not try very hard to keep a low profile, as if they feel their impunity," a source told Izvestiya. "When they are approached with questions and asked to introduce themselves, they show their KGB IDs. [Uralkali's] security service already knows all of them in person."

Messrs. Baumgertner, Solodovnikov, Yevstratov and Samoilov as well as Oleg Petrov, a member of BPC's supervisory board, and Uralkali's top shareholder Suleiman Kerimov have been declared by the Investigative Committee of Belarus suspects in a case linked to Uralkali's decision to quit BPC. Belarusian investigators said in August that "criminal" actions by Mr. Baumgertner and other Uralkali managers had caused Belarus up to $100 million in damage. The Investigative Committee warned later that the amount of the damage could be revised upward.

Mr. Lukashenka said earlier this month that the charge against Mr. Baumgertner had been changed from abuse of office to embezzlement. Lukashenka warned on October 21 that Mr. Baumgertner would be extradited to Russia only if Uralkali compensated Belarus for the damage allegedly caused by the executive's actions.

"Until we get more damage, let them compensate for this amount," he told CIS media leaders in Minsk. "If they compensate us for the damage, we will make some moves to hand over Baumgertner, who is loved by you and the Russian people [to Russia]."

Mr. Baumgertner was arrested on August 26 as he was about to fly out of Minsk after a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich. He is currently held under house arrest in Minsk.