Krychau: officers of tax inspection continue pressurizing independent journalist
Several days ago Siarhei Niarouny, chief editor
of the private newspaper “Volny Horad”, received another letter from the tax
inspection. This time he is demanded to give explanations concerning the 4.5
million rubles he spent for his own needs during 2009 and the first half of
2010.
“In October I passed to the inspection an income and assets declaration on
demand of its officers. However, they weren’t satisfied with my detailed
explanations. Several days ago they required more detailed explanations about
4.5 million rubles I had spent on paying for public utilities, mobile and
stationary telephone, etc. in 2009 and the first half of 2010. To my mind, this
is a wire-drawn demand, as I live together with my wife, who worked as a
teacher at Krychau lyceum #4 all this time and paid for the expenditures. Being
a law-obedient citizen, I will prepare all necessary documents and present them
to officers of the tax inspection,” commented Siarhei Niarouny.
He thinks that the real reason for the extraordinary attention of the tax
inspection is that his newspaper publishes many critical articles about the
local authorities. “Volny Horad” has the circulation of 299 copies (a legally
allowed maximum for an unregistered newspaper, as the repeated attempts to get
it registered with the state gave no results).
In September 2011 the lyceum administration also refused to prolong the labor
contract to Siarhei’s wife, Tatsiana Leibutsina, who had worked there for ten
years. No explanations were offered to her. By the way, Siarhei and Tatsiana
have an under-aged daughter.
