Belarusian awards: official becomes “man of the year” despite beating his subordinates
Director of the
Mahiliou milk enterprise "Babushkina Krynka Ihar Kananchuk won the special
prize of the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee, "Man of the Year"
in nomination "Industrial activity".
Several
years ago, he faced up to five years in prison for beating his staff. Being the
director of the enterprise, Kananchuk accused employees of stealing milk
products. When
the women began to prove their innocence, he beat two of them and then
dismissed them from work.
The victims applied to the independent trade union which defended their
interests in court. The beating was
registered by forensic expertise. Testimonies were given by other workers. One
of the employees had a brain concussion, as the official hit her head against
his desk.
“Kananchuk wasn’t sentenced to imprisonment by luck. The criminal proceedings
against him were instigated for “hooliganism”. The city administration gave him
a positive characteristic. In addition, his wife had a small child. The judge
offered reconciliation to the sides. The women were rehabilitated at work as a
result,” comments professor Valery Berazienka, who attended the court hearings.
Ihar Kananchuk also bought a computer to each woman as a moral compensation. However,
though they returned to their work, their labor contracts, which expired in a
year, weren’t prolonged.
Civil activist Aliaksei Paulouski says that he phoned to the head of the city
administration Stanislau Baradauka and asked him why this man was nominated for
the prize, taking into account the beating of the women. The official stated
that he knew nothing about it and promised to discriminate in the situation. The
results speak for themselves.
The prize has been awarded in three categories – “Industrial Activity”, “Social
and Political Activities” and “Non-industrial Sphere” since 2001 to innovative
ideas, excellence and recognition of achievements in these areas. There were 29 nominees for
this award this year. 15 of them were awarded with 350,000 Belarusian rubles.
The awarding ceremony will be held on 23 February.
