Period of investigation in case of Union of Poles’s activist Teresa Sobol extended
On February 24, director of the Ivyanets Polish House Tereza Sobal (Teresa Sobol) and accountant Romualda Miron were questioned in the militia department of Valozhyn.
They were questioned in Tereza Sobal’s criminal case of abuse of office. As Radio Svaboda reports, the period of investigation has been extended.
The investigation is carried out by a new investigator. On February 24, Tereza Sobal was questioned by Alyaksandr Shulha. Accountant of the Ivyanets Polish House Romualda Miron was the first to give her evidence. Tereza Sobal said after the interrogation:
“After the account, I was invited in the office. What did they ask? They asked if I agree that the case can be suspended due to the period of limitation. I said I disagreed.”
Tereza Sobal wants the case to be closed only due to the lack of elements of the offence. According to her, the period of limitation expired in late 2009, but a notice on instigating the case was given to Tereza Sobal only on January 5, 2010.
Andrzej Poczbut, a journalist and activist of the Union of Poles unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities, notes the case against the head of the Ivyanets Polish House was discriminative from the very beginning.
“The authorities accused Tereza Sobal of all sins possible. But the documents don’t prove this. Now they have insolence to tell this woman, a victim of baiting and intimidation: let’s close the case because of period of limitation. But the lies they have spread about her wil remain. This is a far-fetched case aimed at defamation of Tereza Sobal in view of members of the Union of Poles and the Belarusian society. The fact that these methods are used demonstrates that the real aim is her political discredit as a public figure,” Andrzej Poczobut said.
We remind that head of the Ivyanets Polish House Tereza Sobal is the suspect in the criminal case of abuse of office (part 2 of article 210 of the Criminal Code). The reason for instigating the case was the fact that she received Br600,000 from the leadership of the Union of Poles in Hrodna at the end of 2004.
