Report of Chairman of State Forensic Examination Committee Andrei Shved

  • 1

The development prospects of the State Forensic Examination Committee of the Republic of Belarus were discussed at the meeting between Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Chairman of the State Forensic Examination Committee Andrei Shved on 1 February.

The President emphasized the role of experts in the investigation of criminal cases and other offences. They help unravel the truth and punish the guilty. “I want you to act with honesty, integrity, objectivity. Once, you took charge of the metro blast investigation case and you solved the crime. I will be very grateful for this and will remember this as long as I live. This is your great achievement,” the President said. “Forensic experts should be people of integrity. You have to understand that if you rig forensic evidence against someone for someone, you will get punishment from God. Sooner or later punishment will come,” the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state inquired whether the committee managed to put disparate departments into a single vertical structure and to solve the old problems. “I have examined a lot of documents on the forensic topics lately, different criminal cases. Unfortunately, some members of our society commit terrible crimes, such as murders, rapes, torture. Our forensic experts are the key people in the investigation of such cases. You have the cutting-edge equipment. These procedures are costly but they are important in establishing the truth,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“We cannot make mistakes in an investigation, not to mention falsify evidence. It would be a disaster. We will pay our close attention to the work of your department,” the President added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about a recent criminal investigation when his participation helped solve an old murder. “The KGB has submitted a report on one criminal case to me today. This crime happened a few years ago,” he said. “So I had to make a decision to reopen the case. The crime took place in Mogilev Oblast. The father of a murdered woman approached me. He told me about the investigation and the court verdict. There are many requests like that.”

“I asked him to provide all the materials he had. He sent them to me. I analyzed the materials and instructed the prosecutor and the KGB chairman to use all tools to investigate the case. The culprit was caught in Russia and brought to Minsk. The case was reopened. I took it under control. We found out that he was the murderer. But he had been almost acquitted,” the President said.

“Now we will bring those in charge of the previous investigation and those who delivered a not-guilty verdict to account. We will also ask questions to the prosecutors. The murderer gave a confession and showed how and where he killed that woman,” the head of state added.