14 October 2024 , 19:25
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who previously warned that recognizing Abkhazia could result in sanctions, may have personally profited from a secret visit to the breakaway Georgian region in 2022, allegedly gaining access to a $6.4 million coastal plot on the Black Sea.
A new investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC), an OCCRP partner organization, links the visit, kept secret and with no disclosed details, to the land deal along Abkhazia’s Black Sea coast, and raises concerns of corruption.
Lukashenko is only the second leader of a recognized country—after Russian President Vladimir Putin—to visit Abkhazia, which is recognized by very few countries, but not by Belarus. He had previously dismissed the idea of recognizing Abkhazia, citing potential repercussions.
However, a day after Lukashenko’s visit, the Abkhazian government approved the transfer of 20 hectares of prime coastal land in the village of Kyndyg, known for its thermal water springs, to a company called OOO Zhemchuzhina 2010. The land was designated for the construction of a health resort complex, with an investment of 15 billion Russian rubles (US$154.24 million or nearly $260 million according to exchange rate back then), a figure that exceeds Abkhazia’s annual budget.
The company behind the deal, Zhemchuzhina 2010, is co-owned by a Belarusian firm, Termalia, and an Abkhaz national, Dato Kvitsinia. Termalia, registered in Minsk two months before Lukashenko’s visit, is owned by Aliaksandr Ramanouski, a former member of Lukashenko’s personal security team.
Kvitsinia, the Abkhaz co-owner, admitted to BIC reporters that he is merely a figurehead and has no role in the company’s management. He revealed he had only signed documents on behalf of others and was paid a small fee for his involvement.
BIC’s investigation uncovered ties between Zhemchuzhina 2010 and key figures close to Lukashenko, particularly Viktar Sheiman, a longtime ally and former head of the Presidential Property Management Department. Sheiman is believed to be the real force behind the project. He was personally involved in meetings with Abkhaz officials during and after Lukashenko’s visit, despite no longer holding an official government position.
Correspondence obtained by BIC shows that Mikalai Selivanau, a former deputy head in Lukashenko’s property management department, is referred to as the managing partner of Zhemchuzhina 2010.
Though nearly two years have passed since the land was granted to Zhemchuzhina 2010, no construction has begun on the promised resort complex. Satellite images from August 2024 show the land remains undeveloped, raising suspicions that the project was never intended to materialize. According to experts, minimal actions, like building a fence, could be used to claim that the project is in progress and avoid losing the land.