Фото: sk.gov.by
The Investigative Committee of Belarus has opened a criminal case against representatives of Bayer. Ten people, citizens of Belarus and Russia, have been detained.
According to investigators, from January 2020 to March 2026, executives of the foreign companies Bayer and Bayer JSC, with the assistance of other individuals, organised the sale of plant protection products and pharmaceuticals in Belarus without registering a permanent establishment in the country. Bayer VR LLC and several representative offices of foreign companies were established to conduct this business.
Investigators believe that those involved in the scheme failed to pay taxes on the income generated. The total amount of unpaid taxes is estimated at more than 50 million roubles. At the same time, according to the Investigative Committee, more than 1.35 billion roubles were transferred from Belarusian bank accounts to the Bayer group of companies between January 2020 and March 2026.
Ten citizens of Belarus and Russia have been detained as part of the investigation. Seven of them have been remanded in custody. Their actions have been classified under Article 243 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which covers tax evasion.
The Investigative Committee said that documents allegedly confirming unlawful activities were seized during searches. These included shadow accounting records, specifications, contracts, applications, information on supplies and consolidated files.
The Investigative Committee claims that the suspects are cooperating with investigators and giving confessions, including statements concerning the management of the foreign company. The assets seized include real estate, vehicles and bank accounts belonging to the company and its foreign representative offices, as well as the suspects’ movable and immovable property, with a total value of at least 8 million roubles.
The investigation is ongoing. The activities of the foreign company and its representative offices in Belarus are being analysed to establish all the circumstances of the alleged unlawful conduct, the Investigative Committee said.
Bayer is a German multinational pharmaceutical and agrochemical company headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. It is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medicines and agricultural chemicals.