Tax inspections pressurize families of opposition candidates
The democratic activists who have been nominated by oppositional political parties as candidates for the elections to the House of Representatives are called to tax departments. Relatives of opposition politicians are checked, too.
Lelchytsy district inspection on taxes and dues demanded activist of the United Civil Party Mikalai Haurylenka to file income and property tax return for 2007. They said that there was information about income from selling cars, RFE/RL reports.
Mikalai Haurylenka’s wife, mother and mother-in-law must file tax return, too. The 70-year old woman for whom it is difficult to go even to the local shop with her ill legs, is suspected in defrauding of income entrepreneurial activities.
‘They asked about business activity, automobile business. They think up different things – allegedly I receive money from abroad. My mother was called to a tax department. She said to them, ‘Where from can I have income?’ My mother can hardly walk. My husband’s mother was called, too. She went to a tax department, filed a tax return there. She is an 80-year old pensioner, what incomes can she have? The same is with my mother. I was indignant, but heard in response, ‘we are ordered to do so, you should understand, the elections are coming’. I said: ‘What relation do elections have to pensioners? Check me, my husband, but what do you have to old women? They have worked hard for all their life, but haven’t deserved a normal pension,’ Mikalai Haurylenka’s wife Valiantsina said.
Mikalai Haurylenka wasn’t registered as a candidate at the previous Parliamentary elections due to a tax return. The local authorities informed the district election commission the activist had reared two pigs and hadn’t mentioned it in the tax return.
In the meantime Leanid Sudalenka, the United Democratic Forces’ representative in constituency #47, regional legal inspector of the Belarusian Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Workers, learnt militia is conducting a check on him.
‘Homel city police department asked Fiadynich, head of our trade union, if I was working in the trade union, when I worked, from what date, what my salary was. They are conducting a check now. I don’t know why they check me. I think it is connected with the fact I am on the United democratic Forces list of candidates for Khoiniki constituency #47 for the Parliamentary elections, which are to be held in September,’ Sudalenka said.
By the way, Homel tax inspection was interested in payment for Leanid Sudalenka’s cellular phone over the last two years.
It was informed earlier about pressure upon possible opposition candidates for the Parliament Adam Varanets and his family from the Dobrush district and Kastus Zhukouski from Homel. The latter, in particular, was fined for incorrect filing of a tax return and even of wedding presents from his Ukrainian relatives.
