Will state official be punished for illegal use of labor?

The head of the "Mahiliouablselbud" hostels Pavel Shyshou illegally used the labor of workers for repairs in his own apartment in Shmidt Street, 24 in Mahiliou during the working hours.

The former worker of "Mahiliouablselbud" Mikalai Sobaleu applied to the police with the request to bring a criminal case against the official, but it brought no results. Then he appealed the refusal to bring the criminal case at the Office of the Prosecutor General.

"I also appeal against the invalid information, presented in the answer of the Leninski District Police Department of Mahiliou, where it is stated that a duty check-up was conducted towards Pavel Piatrovichy Shyshou on the address Shmidt Street 24-79, and the facts weren't confirmed, whereas I asked to conduct a check-up towards Pavel Paulavich Shyshou, living in Shmidt Street 24-48. That's why I think there was no real check-up concerning my application," says Mikalai Sobaleu.

Moreover, according to him the answer contains no information about interrogation of any witnesses.

Another lawsuit against Mr. Shylau has been filed by a former worker of "Mahiliouablselbud", activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Mikalai Zalozny, who had been fired by the official after the latter found about his oppositional views.

"The harassment against me started during the Parliamentary election. Pavel Shyshou ordered me to write an explanatory note with indication of the opposition party to which I belonged and explanations why I had become a member of the electoral team of a BSDP candidate, Leanid Padbiaretski, without his permission. I was also accused of disrupting the collection of signatures in support of a pro-regime candidate Eduard Siankevich, which was conducted in the hostel by some persons who weren't members of his electoral team," says Mr. Zalozny.

The BSDP activist also says that after this incident he was deprived of the wage bonuses, the administration started writing complaints about his work everyday, he was transferred to another place of work and subsequently proposed to sign a new labor contract – with considerably worse conditions. Mikalai Zalozny refused from this proposal. After he quit the job, he filed an appeal to the police, describing of all facts of abuse of office powers and corruption on part of Pavel Shyshou.

At present the activist maintains correspondence with the police and does not rule out that a criminal case can be brought, as far as his testimony adds to that of Mikalai Sobaleu. Moreover, other workers of "Mahiliouablselbud" are ready to testify against their boss too.

It's worth mentioning that Pavel Shyshou is a retired police colonel. During the latest Parliamentary election he gave a written order to the hostel wardens not to let in collectors of signatures in support of democratic candidates.