In 2016, a criminal case was opened against a forester employed by the Luninets Forestry Enterprise on suspicion of embezzlement. He left for Russia and remained there until he was deported to Belarus.
As the Brest Region Prosecutor’s Office reports, between March and July 2016, the man repeatedly entered false information into work completion records, inflating on paper the amount of fuel and lubricants used. In this way, he embezzled inventory worth nearly 3,900 Belarusian roubles, equivalent to 185 base units at the time.
After the criminal case was initiated, the forester left for Russia, where he worked in various regions. In 2026, he was deported to Belarus, where he was detained upon his return.
The man believed that the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution had expired. However, under Belarusian law, the limitation period is suspended if a person who has committed a crime evades criminal prosecution authorities or the court. In such cases, the limitation period resumes from the date of the person’s detention or voluntary surrender.
At trial, the man pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and voluntarily compensated for the damage. He was sentenced to six months in a penal colony and fined 2,250 Belarusian roubles. He was also banned from holding certain positions for five years.
