25 October 2002
Customs chiefs defend subordinates charged with failure to collect duty

 The Brest Customs House chiefs have rejected accusations of abuse of office that were brought against several customs officers by the State Control Committee's Department of Financial Investigations (DFI).
The FDI charged the officers with failing to collect $144,000 in duties from passengers of the Warsaw-Moscow train, which inspectors stopped and checked for 13 hours on October 18 after it passed customs controls.
The Brest Customs House has released a statement to the media saying that no discrepancies were documented between the stated and actual amount of duties. The FDI charged nine officers, some of whom had nothing to do with checks and the collection of duties from passengers of the Brest-Warsaw train, Konstantin Rutsky, deputy chief
of the Brest Customs House, told BelaPAN. "It is difficult to imagine customs officers, who work together with border guards, train service and veterinary inspectors, letting 12 passenger cars stuffed with goods
pass through the border without paying customs duties," he said, noting that the accusations were aimed to discredit the Customs House.