21 August 2002
Brest city council member charged with large-scale fraud

 The Brest Regional Prosecutor's Office has brought a large-scale fraud charge against Aleksandr Maksimenko, member of the Brest City Soviet (elected council).
The charge carries a prison sentence of 7 to 15 years and property forfeiture. Mr. Maksimenko headed the Brest City Soviet until recently.
He was sacked without any official explanation. Mr. Maksimenko is now bound by his pledge not to leave the country during the investigation and trial. He is the second elected council official in the region to face criminal charges this year.
In May, large-scale larceny charges were leveled against Spiridon Podshebyakin, director of the Belarus collective farm and a member of the Domachevo Village Soviet in the Brest region. Mr. Podshebyakin has been in custody for three months awaiting trial.